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Loving Elise
Elise
All I’ve ever wanted is a normal life.
But when you’re the only daughter of Gabriel Consoli, the country’s most notorious mafia boss, “normal” is faking your death and moving away with a false identity.
It worked for six years until he found me.
He stole my normalcy, my freedom, my life.
I thought he couldn’t possibly take anything else.
But now he wants my heart.
Joshua
The plan was use the girl to get the territory.
After all, Consoli wouldn’t have hidden his daughter away if she wasn’t a weakness worth extorting.
Everything was going perfectly until she pulled that stunt.
Now, she knows too much for me to simply give her back.
But the longer she’s here, the more sure I am.
Whether she likes it or not, Elise Consoli is mine.
Loving Elise is an American mafia, enemies to lovers romance. It is book one in the Love and Blood series, but can be read as a standalone.
This book features torture, sexual assault themes, explicit sexual content, and language that may be triggering or offensive to some readers. Recommended for 18+.
All I’ve ever wanted is a normal life.
But when you’re the only daughter of Gabriel Consoli, the country’s most notorious mafia boss, “normal” is faking your death and moving away with a false identity.
It worked for six years until he found me.
He stole my normalcy, my freedom, my life.
I thought he couldn’t possibly take anything else.
But now he wants my heart.
Joshua
The plan was use the girl to get the territory.
After all, Consoli wouldn’t have hidden his daughter away if she wasn’t a weakness worth extorting.
Everything was going perfectly until she pulled that stunt.
Now, she knows too much for me to simply give her back.
But the longer she’s here, the more sure I am.
Whether she likes it or not, Elise Consoli is mine.
Loving Elise is an American mafia, enemies to lovers romance. It is book one in the Love and Blood series, but can be read as a standalone.
This book features torture, sexual assault themes, explicit sexual content, and language that may be triggering or offensive to some readers. Recommended for 18+.
427 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 23, 2022
28 people are currently reading
355 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 22, 2022
ELISE AND JOSHUA HAVE MY HEART😭
December 21, 2025
1.25 ⭐️ — Eugh, it was extremely long and the male character repeatedly called her little girl. Elise was so stupid and annoying, her husband wasn’t any better. The only likable character was Ryder
December 30, 2022
4.5 ⭐️
🔫 mafia romance
🪢 he kidnapped her
😈 enemies to lovers
🔥 slow burn
🏠 found family
😱 betrayals and plot twists
“I’ve fucked up more times than I can count, and I can’t promise that it won’t happen again. What I can promise is that I will never stop trying to be the man you deserve."
This was helluva rollercoaster ride. I laughed, gasped, cried, and got angry. And I enjoyed this a lot from start to finish. It was quite the journey with almost nonstop action.
Elise was minding her biz living life under a false identity thinking she could escape her mafia family's business. But it comes to get her one night when she least expected it and she's whisked away as a captive of Joshua Moreno.
She was sheltered and naive but not a willing captive. I liked her journey as she realized she in fact was never free and she maybe should maybe stop trying to escape the mafia life. She really went through it though! Oh my god. I sure enjoyed how she knew exactly what to say to these guys that was a total low blow I think that was her best weapon haha. Her words. But overall I don't think she stuck out to me much. 🤔
Joshua was like any other mafia main male character you could expect. Closed off, traumatized, possessive, protective, jealous, and obsessed. I loved seeing how Elise wormed her way under his skin and into his heart and he became a little weak for her but was still an alphahole. 🥵 He sucked at trying to be a good guy to woo Elise but it was cute seeing this intimidating, cruel man try to be the man for Elise. Even if it was a little unhinged sometimes the way he was in love with her. 🤭
“Don’t forget, Princess. I own you. Every shudder, every moan, every orgasm, is mine. No one will ever make you feel the way I do. No one will ever make you come as hard as I do. I. Own. You.”
Elise and Joshua messed up a lot and their relationship was a very rocky journey of course with all that happened. I loved that it was truly an enemies to lovers story. It took a long time for them to get softy as they were truly enemies in the beginning. Josh barely cared for her as he used her as a pawn and Elise definitely hated him. They've come so far by the end but it was worth it.
It was definitely a slow slow burn hahaha. Lots of work to get over the enemies and traumatizing mistakes hump. Then bickering. I loved the spice too but expected a little more. The plot also slowed down after the beginning a bit but it picked up again quickly before it hit the 50% mark.
The side characters were also fun! I loved Elise bonding with the capos and Ryder, the underboss. It was cute to see Elise finally get to make some friends. And her brothers seemed really cute with her at the end. I giggled at all the Josh vs Ryder and Josh vs Consoli Brothers scenes.
My one thing I didn't quite like too much: the book was loooonnggg. I was worn out by the end because of all the nonstop action and conflicts. I think there could be like 2 or 3 parts to this one book. So so so much happened all packed into this book. But I was hooked enough to keep reading until the very end because I did enjoy it. It was just loonngg.
But that being said, I would definitely read more by this author! I'm excited even.
TWs: kidnapping, murder, gun violence, torture scenes, sexual assault themes (minor character to h, groping), mentions of parent abusing drugs (past), mentions of abusive parents (past), minor character threatens rape
🔫 mafia romance
🪢 he kidnapped her
😈 enemies to lovers
🔥 slow burn
🏠 found family
😱 betrayals and plot twists
“I’ve fucked up more times than I can count, and I can’t promise that it won’t happen again. What I can promise is that I will never stop trying to be the man you deserve."
This was helluva rollercoaster ride. I laughed, gasped, cried, and got angry. And I enjoyed this a lot from start to finish. It was quite the journey with almost nonstop action.
Elise was minding her biz living life under a false identity thinking she could escape her mafia family's business. But it comes to get her one night when she least expected it and she's whisked away as a captive of Joshua Moreno.
She was sheltered and naive but not a willing captive. I liked her journey as she realized she in fact was never free and she maybe should maybe stop trying to escape the mafia life. She really went through it though! Oh my god. I sure enjoyed how she knew exactly what to say to these guys that was a total low blow I think that was her best weapon haha. Her words. But overall I don't think she stuck out to me much. 🤔
Joshua was like any other mafia main male character you could expect. Closed off, traumatized, possessive, protective, jealous, and obsessed. I loved seeing how Elise wormed her way under his skin and into his heart and he became a little weak for her but was still an alphahole. 🥵 He sucked at trying to be a good guy to woo Elise but it was cute seeing this intimidating, cruel man try to be the man for Elise. Even if it was a little unhinged sometimes the way he was in love with her. 🤭
“Don’t forget, Princess. I own you. Every shudder, every moan, every orgasm, is mine. No one will ever make you feel the way I do. No one will ever make you come as hard as I do. I. Own. You.”
Elise and Joshua messed up a lot and their relationship was a very rocky journey of course with all that happened. I loved that it was truly an enemies to lovers story. It took a long time for them to get softy as they were truly enemies in the beginning. Josh barely cared for her as he used her as a pawn and Elise definitely hated him. They've come so far by the end but it was worth it.
It was definitely a slow slow burn hahaha. Lots of work to get over the enemies and traumatizing mistakes hump. Then bickering. I loved the spice too but expected a little more. The plot also slowed down after the beginning a bit but it picked up again quickly before it hit the 50% mark.
The side characters were also fun! I loved Elise bonding with the capos and Ryder, the underboss. It was cute to see Elise finally get to make some friends. And her brothers seemed really cute with her at the end. I giggled at all the Josh vs Ryder and Josh vs Consoli Brothers scenes.
My one thing I didn't quite like too much: the book was loooonnggg. I was worn out by the end because of all the nonstop action and conflicts. I think there could be like 2 or 3 parts to this one book. So so so much happened all packed into this book. But I was hooked enough to keep reading until the very end because I did enjoy it. It was just loonngg.
But that being said, I would definitely read more by this author! I'm excited even.
TWs: kidnapping, murder, gun violence, torture scenes, sexual assault themes (minor character to h, groping), mentions of parent abusing drugs (past), mentions of abusive parents (past), minor character threatens rape
October 1, 2023
This book was fine. I mean, I didn't particularly enjoy it, but it had some of my favorite tropes. The execution of them just wasn't for me.
What I didn't like:
1) There was a lot going on that made the story drag. I found myself repeatedly checking my progress because something crazy was always happening, from kidnappings, torturing, meetings, whatever, only to realize that I was barely halfway through the book. It was one thing after another. Like, damn, get to the end already, lol. It didn't help that I predicted the ending early on.
2) Relationship development that relied on body betrayal syndrome. "I love him because my body craves him" kind of stuff, even despite the torture stuff. I don't care that he did it; I care that the body reaction is what carries the relationship. Huge pet peeve. The dynamic kind of shifted later on in the book, but I was over it and skimming by that point.
3) I can't remember. BUT, Ryder was my endgame. I'm -->
As my new favorite thing to say goes: don't tempt me with a good time, then pull out. IYKYK (read my "About Me" for context).
P.S. It felt like I took forever to get through this book, but I finished it in a day? Go me. If only I could get out of this slump and back to my days of finishing 3 books a day.
What I didn't like:
1) There was a lot going on that made the story drag. I found myself repeatedly checking my progress because something crazy was always happening, from kidnappings, torturing, meetings, whatever, only to realize that I was barely halfway through the book. It was one thing after another. Like, damn, get to the end already, lol. It didn't help that I predicted the ending early on.
2) Relationship development that relied on body betrayal syndrome. "I love him because my body craves him" kind of stuff, even despite the torture stuff. I don't care that he did it; I care that the body reaction is what carries the relationship. Huge pet peeve. The dynamic kind of shifted later on in the book, but I was over it and skimming by that point.
3) I can't remember. BUT, Ryder was my endgame. I'm -->
As my new favorite thing to say goes: don't tempt me with a good time, then pull out. IYKYK (read my "About Me" for context).
P.S. It felt like I took forever to get through this book, but I finished it in a day? Go me. If only I could get out of this slump and back to my days of finishing 3 books a day.
September 14, 2022
Great Read
So I saw the author advertising this book on tiktok and I just had to download it.
I love how the book wasn’t rushed. The flow transitioning from enemies to lovers was smooth and I enjoyed the dual POV to get perspective from both MCs.
Elise is such a cool character. She obviously doesn’t see her potential and Joshua really helps her bring it out and it’s really fun to watch her grow into herself and into the girl boss queen she is.
Joshua does have the “stereotypical” mafia man vibes but I really enjoyed his growth at being better at communication and being vulnerable.
On the spicy scale, I would give it a 🌶🌶🌶/5. I liked the lead up to the spice and how there was a lot of emphasis on character growth and development of the relationship. Especially since Elise is a virgin and so it didn’t rush into the sex which I really enjoyed and felt true to the characters.
POTENTIAL SPOILERS:
I really like the relationship Elise formed with the capos. I often find in mafia romances that the main underboss or capos get neglected in the story and it just makes the characters feel like “dead weight” but that definitely didn’t happen in this book. I like that Elise had friends and others to rely on besides Joshua. It made the story feel more real and gave Elise more of a purpose besides being Joshua’s wife.
My one issue with the book is that there were minor spelling and grammar issues. I still give it a 5 because I really enjoyed the read. I don’t usually give long reviews but I felt like I needed too, especially for a new author!
I can’t wait to read more of M.B. Smith’s work!
So I saw the author advertising this book on tiktok and I just had to download it.
I love how the book wasn’t rushed. The flow transitioning from enemies to lovers was smooth and I enjoyed the dual POV to get perspective from both MCs.
Elise is such a cool character. She obviously doesn’t see her potential and Joshua really helps her bring it out and it’s really fun to watch her grow into herself and into the girl boss queen she is.
Joshua does have the “stereotypical” mafia man vibes but I really enjoyed his growth at being better at communication and being vulnerable.
On the spicy scale, I would give it a 🌶🌶🌶/5. I liked the lead up to the spice and how there was a lot of emphasis on character growth and development of the relationship. Especially since Elise is a virgin and so it didn’t rush into the sex which I really enjoyed and felt true to the characters.
POTENTIAL SPOILERS:
I really like the relationship Elise formed with the capos. I often find in mafia romances that the main underboss or capos get neglected in the story and it just makes the characters feel like “dead weight” but that definitely didn’t happen in this book. I like that Elise had friends and others to rely on besides Joshua. It made the story feel more real and gave Elise more of a purpose besides being Joshua’s wife.
My one issue with the book is that there were minor spelling and grammar issues. I still give it a 5 because I really enjoyed the read. I don’t usually give long reviews but I felt like I needed too, especially for a new author!
I can’t wait to read more of M.B. Smith’s work!
October 12, 2022
4.5 stars
You will want to read the trigger warnings. There were some parts of this book that were hard for me to read, but it was very well written. This book is exciting all the way through which is why I rated it as highly as I did.
Spoiler alert: I badly wanted Elise to wake up from her Stockholm Syndrome and get away from him. In my experience someone violent will always be a danger to you no matter how much they might love you and feel like they'd never hurt you at first. That being said, I love the ending! I had a hard time putting aside my concern for her most of the way through the book. I was torn between enjoying their romance and feeling like she should have never let him in. It seemed she was confusing sexual attraction for love. (Which wouldn't make it a bad story. That's a realistic, first relationship mistake.) However, when she became such a strong person at the end I was less worried because I felt like she'd be better equipped to take care of herself in the future.
You will want to read the trigger warnings. There were some parts of this book that were hard for me to read, but it was very well written. This book is exciting all the way through which is why I rated it as highly as I did.
Spoiler alert: I badly wanted Elise to wake up from her Stockholm Syndrome and get away from him. In my experience someone violent will always be a danger to you no matter how much they might love you and feel like they'd never hurt you at first. That being said, I love the ending! I had a hard time putting aside my concern for her most of the way through the book. I was torn between enjoying their romance and feeling like she should have never let him in. It seemed she was confusing sexual attraction for love. (Which wouldn't make it a bad story. That's a realistic, first relationship mistake.) However, when she became such a strong person at the end I was less worried because I felt like she'd be better equipped to take care of herself in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2023
I’d been putting off reading this. It’s one of the older books on my TBR. But I’ve decided to start at the top and work through it. I was pleasantly surprised. I expected another mafia romance filled with either a naive heroine or a bratty one. But that’s not what it was like.
Yes it’s a mafia romance. Yes he’s an overbearing alpha hole. But the writing is good, the storyline is solid and I actually enjoyed for the first time in a while good dialogue between the h and H. It’s a well written book, again something I didn’t expect.
The heroine Elise us but bratty or naive. She’s a mix of characteristics that seem to balance out nicely: strong but knows when to ask for help, stubborn but not when it matters, smart but with being a know all. I’m impressed.
The Hero Joshua is the same. He’s a young boss but he plays the role well and I enjoyed him being honest with Elli Amit how he felt. No cheating, no games. I’m glad I took the time to read it.
Yes it’s a mafia romance. Yes he’s an overbearing alpha hole. But the writing is good, the storyline is solid and I actually enjoyed for the first time in a while good dialogue between the h and H. It’s a well written book, again something I didn’t expect.
The heroine Elise us but bratty or naive. She’s a mix of characteristics that seem to balance out nicely: strong but knows when to ask for help, stubborn but not when it matters, smart but with being a know all. I’m impressed.
The Hero Joshua is the same. He’s a young boss but he plays the role well and I enjoyed him being honest with Elli Amit how he felt. No cheating, no games. I’m glad I took the time to read it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2022
This book wasn’t too rushed trying to get places and the premise had me scratching my head but it totally worked! The characters didn’t act stupid and brainless like you can sometimes find in romance books, and it was well written, only draw is it’s hard to put down! Perfect for those who like mafia romance, not too dark.
May 7, 2025
This was such a dark but good read! I've only ever read one other closed door mafia book and they may be a new favorite genre and i wish there was more of them!
the fact too that this is a debut book is astounding! her story telling was very good and i was enraptured the whole read!! i didn't want to put it down!
thank you to the author for a free eARC and this is my honest review
the fact too that this is a debut book is astounding! her story telling was very good and i was enraptured the whole read!! i didn't want to put it down!
thank you to the author for a free eARC and this is my honest review
December 2, 2025
SCREAMING. One of the best books I’ve read this year and I’m only 33% in. I’m so glad the author opted to remove the spicy content from this book because I needed it. I just love dark romance, but it’s so hard to find as a Christian woman who does not want the spice to go along with it. This has beauty and the beast vibes, but 100x better. So happy I found it.
December 3, 2025
I absolutely love this book!! I was not expecting to since I mostly read romance fantasy but this book stole my attention! I was up till about 2:30 am reading this book and that says something, when a book can capture all of ur attention is amazing! It is so well written and the story is so beautifully executed!
December 6, 2025
I love it.More people should read thissss.Its about mafia and kidnapping, but not the kind very dark,but I dare say it was actually cute(their love,not the other things).He wasn't toxic to her at all.Not like some other ml(ahem Ronan Markov.)Yes there was some dark shit but Elise is strong physically and mentally.Joshua is perfect and so understanding of Elise.I reaaaally love them.
October 7, 2022
excellent book - 1 critique
I really enjoyed this book. The one thing that I wish was different were the constant time shifts - 1 month ago, 2 weeks ago, etc. and then back to the present. That gets kind of confusing
I really enjoyed this book. The one thing that I wish was different were the constant time shifts - 1 month ago, 2 weeks ago, etc. and then back to the present. That gets kind of confusing
December 16, 2022
Loved this book
December 16, 2022
Please read any tw's before reading this, I thought I was going to be okay since I've read some darker novels but I simply cannot bring myself to finish this. This is a dnf for me :(
March 2, 2023
I at no point was expecting anything that was happening! It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I next to never write reviews but wow. If you’re debating on reading this, DO IT.
August 19, 2023
This book was amazing just wow I loved the characters and their development especially the duel pov.
February 11, 2024
This is the book!!!!! I have been remembering this book for a year! And I finally found it!
June 5, 2025
This is an enemies to lovers AND closed door romances so clearlyyy all I’m looking for. The slow burn chemistry between Elise and Joshua is incredible, I loved this book by MB Smith💗💗💗
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2025
closed door mafia romance. It was dark romance. I would check triggers before diving in. but overall it was a good read. I had no idea how she was going to redeem Joshua the first half of the book.
December 26, 2025
1,75 ⭐️
Mmm…no, just no.
Mmm…no, just no.
January 12, 2026
One of my favorite closed door romances! Cannot wait to read more!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews