25 Spicy & Hot Mafia Romance Books That’ll Make You Blush
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If you’re an avid romance reader, I am sure you’ve come across some hot mafia romance books to read! I curated a list of mafia books that’s hot and spicy and will no doubt leave you wanting more.
You will be engrossed in these stories from the first page onwards, whether it’s Cora Reilly’s or Sophie Lark’s mafia novels.
To help you pick the right novel I have mentioned some romance tropes for each book such as enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, age gap, and many more.
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25 Hot Mafia Romance Books To Try Reading Next
1. The Sweetest Oblivion by Danielle Lori
Romance Tropes: Age-gap Romance, Slow Burn Romance.
In The Sweetest Oblivion, Elena Abelli and her family are part of New York’s Cosa Nostra, the ruthless mafia. Her younger sister is being forced to marry Nicholas Russo, a powerful mafia boss. Sadly, Elena and her sister cannot go against their father’s wishes, so wedding preparations begin.
When Elena and Nicholas cross paths, they feel a spark. He is always near her and loves to order her around just to get a reaction.
Elena knows not to fall in love with a dangerous mafia boss like him, especially since he is her future brother-in-law, but she cannot stop the thrill she gets from being around Nicholas.
Compared to other mafia romance novels, this one is truly a dark mafia romance book and is strongly recommended for an 18+ audience due to its mature content.
2. The Predator by RuNyx
Romance Tropes: Enemies To Lovers, Forced Proximity.
The Predator follows Morana Vitalio, daughter of the Shadowport mafia boss, is a computer genius and her codes just got stolen by her ex-boyfriend. The codes could cause a war between rival mafia families so she needs to find them fast. Thankfully, she knows just the right person to question.
Tristan Caine is an adopted member of the Tenebrae Outfit clan. Everybody is terrified of him so when Morana sneaks into his room, he is shocked at the audacity.
The pair decides to work together to find the harmful codes, but they will soon realize many mysteries tie their fates together. It includes something sinister that happened twenty years ago.
I highly recommend you read the Dark Verse series in order because these spicy mafia romance books focuses on solving one mystery.
3. Bound by Honor by Cora Reilly
Romance Tropes: Marriage of Convenience
In Bound by Honor, Aria Scuderi, an eighteen-year-old, is part of a dangerous mob family in Chicago. When she was fifteen, her parents arranged her marriage to Luca Vitiello, the son of the New York Cosa Nostra boss.
It was an act of peace between the families, and they decided the marriage would take place when Aria turns eighteen.
As the dreadful day approaches, Aria considers running away but decides against it. She would instead stick through with the marriage and soften up Luca’s stone-cold heart.
4. The Kiss Thief by L.J. Shen
Romance Tropes: Love triangle, enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience/arranged marriage
The Kiss Theif is a popular enemies to lovers mafia romance book. We meet Francesca Rossi knew from the beginning she could not marry the man she wants because her father runs a powerful mob in Chicago, and in their world, marriages mean alliances.
Francesca’s father has arranged her marriage with Angelo Bandini, her childhood best friend who is from a wealthy family in the Chicago Outfit. Everyone is happy with the decision until one day someone steals a kiss from Francesca.
Senator Wolfe Keaton, the kiss thief, blackmails Francesca’s father into giving him his daughter. Wolfe’s intentions are unclear, but now Francesca is stuck with a man she barely knows.
With Angelo and Wolfe fighting over Francesca, she needs to figure out where she stands in this dangerous game.
5. When Heroes Fall (Anti-Heroes in Love #1) by Giana Darling
Romance Tropes: Forced proximity, slow burn romance.
When Heroes Fall follows Elena Lombardi, a ruthless criminal lawyer, who takes on a new client, the dangerous boss of the New York mafioso, Dante Salvatore. Dante has been accused of murder, and it’s Elena’s responsibility to get him out of this mess.
As Elena strives to clear Dante’s name, he is placed on house arrest, prompting her to move in with him to work more closely on his case. Despite her past traumas that have caused her to shut herself off emotionally, she finds herself drawn to Dante.
As she gets to know him better, she realizes that her motivation for wanting to protect him goes beyond just winning his case. This is one of the best mafia romance books for young adults.
6. Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark
Romance Tropes: Marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers.
One of the best mafia books of all time is the Brutal Prince. We meet Aida Gallo, the daughter of an Italian mafia boss, who has always lived recklessly.
One night, she sneaks into the rival gang’s party and accidentally sets fire to their library, causing chaos. It doesn’t go unnoticed by Callum Griffin, the heir to the Irish mafia throne.
The Gallos and the Griffins are tired of their rivalry, so they decide to form a marriage pact between Aida and Callum in hopes that merging the families would bring peace.
Aida is determined to escape Callum, but he proves to be a worthy opponent in their fight for dominance. This series includes six books and are the best Italian mafia romance books by Sophie Lark.
7. Sinners Anonymous by Somme Sketcher
Romance Tropes: Forbidden Romance, Age-gap Romance.
If you’re looking for hot mafia romance books with a suspenseful plot line, this novel is perfect!
Sinners Anonymous follows Rory Carter who believes there’s no redemption out there for her considering all her sins. Her only act of kindness is marrying the boss of the Cosa Nostra, a seventy-year-old man, to save her father.
Rory is willing to put on fake smiles and tight dresses until she meets Angelo Visconti, her fiancé’s nephew. He left the mafia life behind him nine years ago but has returned for mysterious reasons.
Rory is stunned when she learns Angelo might be aware of her past sins, leaving her fate in his hands and using it to his advantage.
8. Vow of Deception by Rina Kent
Romance Tropes: Marriage of Convenience.
In Vow of Deception, Winter Cavanaugh, also known as Lia, is a homeless alcoholic struggling with past trauma. When Adrian Volkov, a notorious Mafia boss, asks her to take the place of his dead wife, Lia accepts it due to her circumstances.
She doesn’t want to stay homeless and their deal seems simple enough to commit to. However, Lia couldn’t be more wrong. As soon as she takes up the role of a loving wife things start to go south.
This dark mafia romance puts other steamy mafia romance books to shame with its spicy scenes. Make sure to check out the trigger warnings as this trilogy is for an 18+ audience.
9. Cruel Paradise by J.T. Geissinger
Romance Tropes: Enemies To Lovers
In Cruel Paradise, Killian Black is often referred to as the king of Boston and head of the Irish mafia. He is left confused and intrigued when he hears the news that one of his warehouses containing diapers got robbed.
Upon checking the camera footage Killian finds his little thief. It’s none other than Juliet, the daughter of the Italian mafia, who is a little too inspired by Robin Hood.
Killian is instantly obsessed with Juliet and tries to get her to reciprocate his feelings despite the rivalry between their families. Getting closer to Juliet would mean revealing his dark secrets which could break all hell loose for Killian.
10. Monster in His Eyes by J.M. Darhower
Romance Tropes: Age-gap romance.
Monster in His Eyes follows Karissa Reed, an eighteen-year-old college student, who has her priorities on maintaining her GPA to keep her much-needed scholarship. Her life is thrown into disarray when she crosses paths with Ignazio “Naz” Vitale.
Naz’s enigmatic nature piques Karissa’s interest, and despite his warning that he is not a good man, she is drawn to him. Likewise, Naz finds himself unable to resist her.
Naz would do whatever it takes to hide his dark world from Karissa to protect her, but he might have to let go of her.
This dark mafia romance novel features multiple steamy scenes for an older audience.
11. Ruthless People by J.J. McAvoy
Romance Tropes: Marriage Of Convenience, Enemies To Lovers.
In Ruthless People, Melody Giovanni and Liam Callahan’s marriage was a peace contract between the Italian and Irish gangs of Chicago but they won’t give up fighting for dominance against each other. Liam thought he could tame Melody’s fiery nature but she proves him wrong.
A new mutual enemy is rising who could bring down Melody and Liam’s mafia empire and they understand that uniting forces is the only way to defeat the enemy.
12. Black Heart by Maggie Kay
Romance Tropes: Enemies to Lovers.
Black Heart follows Nicolai Valsetti who is the new leader of New Jersey’s mafia group after his father was murdered. He sees a golden opportunity for revenge when Sophia Kastrati, the daughter of his enemy, falls into his grasp.
Sophia is the perfect pawn in his game and using her would give Nicolai loads of power over his enemy but a little voice in his head questions if he can keep her by his side instead.
13. Dirty Angels by Karina Halle
Romance Tropes: Enemies to Lovers.
Dirty Angels features twenty-three-year-old Luisa Chavez who desperately needs a well-paying job as her waitressing shift doesn’t pay enough for her to take care of her ailing parents.
In a stroke of luck, the boss of a major Mexican cartel, Salvador Reyes, approaches Luisa and gives her an offer: marry him and receive money for her parents’ care.
Luisa agrees, only to find herself in a completely different world that is not something she signed up for. Looking for a way out of this marriage, Luisa’s wish comes true.
Salvador’s rival cartel boss, Javier Bernal, has killed many people and is willing to kill more so he can get Luisa. He won’t stop until he gets her because she is a crucial bargaining chip.
14. Ivan by Sophie Lark
Romance Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity.
If you’re looking for more spicy mafia recommendations, try reading Ivan by Sophie Lark. Yes, another Sophie Lark recommendation as she writes the best hot mafia romance books.
Ivan Petrov, the leader of the most powerful Bratva family in Russia, is no stranger to assassination attempts.
Yet, the latest one piques his interest when the assassin sneaks into his bedroom and tries to stick a syringe into his neck.
Sloane, his assassin, is taken captive by Ivan in his basement but she won’t speak up about who sent her. Despite their differences, Ivan and Sloane cannot deny the spark they feel, leading to Ivan keeping her around longer than he intended.
15. Crow’s Row by Julie Hockley
Romance Tropes: Morally grey love interest
In Crow’s Row, Emily Sheppard is a college student who finds her summer alone in New York turned upside down when she witnesses a brutal murder on her way home from visiting her brother’s grave.
She soon blacks out, waking up to find herself in a mysterious place. It turns out, Emily is in rural Vermont and has been abducted by Cameron, a young crime boss.
While Cameron won’t let Emily go, she tries to make sense of her situation. Nothing seems to add up, but she guesses her abduction might have to do something with her brother’s death.
Emily finds Cameron charming but pursuing her feelings would mean kissing her old life goodbye.
This novel ends on a cliffhanger so make sure to have the second novel, Scare Crow, at hand.
16. Fragile Longing by Cora Reilly
Romance Tropes: Marriage of Convenience
Fragile Longing follows Sofia Mione, the niece of the Outfits Capo boss, who has been promised to a man ten years older than her as a conciliation prize. This was after her sister, Serafina, ran away, who was initially supposed to marry him.
Danilo Mancini, an Indianapolis underboss, is still furious about his reputation being tarnished after his bride left him.
Now he is stuck with Serafina’s younger sister, Sofia. He decides to put distance between Sofia and himself, as Danilo still wants Serafina back.
However, Sofia is determined to make things work and prove that she is more than just a second-best option. Although her efforts might be fruitless and break her heart in the end, she is willing to give her marriage a shot.
Danilo and Sofia were introduced in The Camorra Chronicles series! Readers consider this one of the best marriage of convenience mafia romance books by Cora Reilly!
17. Nero by Sarah Brianne
Romance Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, possessive love interest
In Nero, Elle Buchannan, a senior college student, is the sole witness to a murder outside the diner she works at. Deciding there is nothing she can do about it, she moves on. However, when the school’s popular guy, Nero, starts showing interest in her, Elle can tell something is off.
Unbeknownst to Elle, Nero is the boss of Legacy Prep and part of a powerful mafia family. Nero’s first mission is to get close to Elle and extract information about the murder, but she refuses to talk.
As Nero spends time following Elle, he is intrigued and feels a spark ignite. He punishes her bullies and protects her in any way he can.
The story follows Nero and Elle as they get tangled in a web of secrets and a doomed fate.
Saraf Brianne knows how to write perfect possessive mafia romance books. Check Nero out, if that’s what you’re into.
18. Hearts of Darkness by Catherine Wiltcher
Romance Tropes: Enemies to Lovers
Hearts of Darkness begins with Eve Miller, an investigative reporter, swearing to bring down all crime lords that other reports are scared even to name.
With her fearless determination, she sets her sights on Dante Santiago, a drug kingpin, but little does she know that Dante is already one step ahead and after her.
Eve is fueled by her desire for revenge after her brother’s mysterious death, which she believes is connected to the drug cartel, she won’t rest before she makes them suffer. The biggest obstacle in her path is Dante himself, but she is not easily deterred.
This romance novel is not a standalone so make sure to get the other two books in this trilogy ( Hearts Divine and Hearts on Fire ).
19. Blurred Red Lines by Cora Kenborn
Romance Tropes: Forced proximity.
In Blurred Red Lines, Eden Lachey O’Dell finds herself kidnapped by Valentin Carrera, the head of the Carrera cartel. As she tries to escape her captor, Eden finds herself battling with her feelings for Valentin. Despite her shock, she quickly realizes that Valentin is the same man she’s had a secret crush on for months.
Meanwhile, Valentin only knows how to keep Eden safe by holding her hostage. With dangerous mafia men after them, the two must figure out their relationship while facing the harsh realities of life in the criminal underworld.
20. Sweet Temptation by Cora Reilly
Romance Tropes: Age-gap Romance, Marriage of Convenience, Single-dad Romance.
Sweet Temptation follows Cassio who is the underboss of Philadelphia and needs a wife, not for pleasure but to look after his two children. His wife mysteriously passed away. That’s how he ends up with Giulia, the Philadelphia head boss’s young cousin.
Giulia isn’t sure how she will take care of his kids when she is so inexperienced, but she is willing to make her marriage work.
The novel also has a great mystery aspect resolving around Cassio’s wife which many readers found intriguing.
Compared to other marriage of convenience mafia romance books, I am sure you will enjoy Giulia and Cassio’s story as Cora Reilly does a great job at combing multiple tropes in this novel!
21. Dante by Bethany Kris
Romance Tropes: Marriage of Convenience
Dante Marcello has prepared to take over the Cosa Nostra throne all his life. Now the time has arrived, but to secure his position as the boss he needs to marry. Catrina Danzi is ready to solve that issue.
Catrina is a successful Queen Pin, who knows how to get her clients out of reputation-ruining scandals. This has also earned her a good number of enemies and marrying the ruthless Dante Marcello would give her security.
Dante and Catrina make some rules for their fake marriage and keep intimacy off limits as Dante isn’t looking for love and Catrina doesn’t want to get attached.
However, Catrina has secrets that could bring down the Marcello family and threaten to break all hell loose.
22. Collateral by Natasha Knight
Romance Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Marriage of Convenience.
In Collateral, Gabriela Marchese is the precious daughter of crime boss Gabe Marchese, which means many people are after her life. On her 16th birthday, a man shows up in her bedroom at night and tells her to let her father know he will return to steal something dear to him.
Two years later, the mysterious man, Stefan Sabbioni, head of the Sicilian mafia, is back to steal Gabriela away. This is just the beginning of his revenge. Soon he’ll bring down the whole Marchese empire unless he lets Gabriela into his ice-cold heart.
23. Love the Way You Lie by Skye Warren
Romance Tropes: Forbidden romance
Love the Way You Lie follows Honor Moretti, also known as Honey, who knows she can’t have freedom and will have to marry a man of her father’s choice. Considering that, she decides to run away and work at a stripping club where non of her father’s men can find her.
When a mysterious man named Kip starts showing up at Honey’s work, she is suspicious of his intentions. Soon enough she learns that getting involved with him would mean inviting trouble.
This novel included themes and topics meant for an 18+ audience so make sure to check the trigger warnings.
24. Taken By A Sinner by Michelle Heard
Romance Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Forbidden Romance.
Taken By A Sinner features Tess who wanted to be a film producer, but then her mom decided to marry the retired boss of the Greek mafia. Now her freedom is a luxury, one she is ready to fight for.
Her step-brother-in-law and current head of the mafia, Nikolas Stathoulis, wants her out of his hair just as much, so he arranges Tess’s wedding with a man she doesn’t know.
Nicholas is intrigued by Tess and her willingness to argue and fight with him. He doesn’t want to stop and consider what his feelings for her truly mean because he can’t have her anyway.
25. Possessive Vows By Ivy Davis
Romance Tropes: Marriage of Convenience
In Possessive Vows, Pia has been living in isolation, locked away in her tower by her father, a prominent figure in the mafia world. Years of trauma have left her selectively mute and struggling to connect with others.
Despite that, Pia’s father suddenly announces her marriage which she isn’t aware of, disrupting her life even more.
Meanwhile, Dario Santoro, head of the Italian mafia, wants Pia for his own hidden reasons. He decides to kidnap her on her wedding day, causing chaos to unravel.
This novel is one of the best mafia romance books with an unpredictable plot line.
Wrap Up: Hot & Spicy Mafia Romance Books
These 25 hot mafia romance books will satisfy your craving for steamy and suspenseful romance stories so hurry up and add them to your TBR!
You’ll realize that most spicy mafia romance novels have tropes such as marriage of convenience/arranged marriage, forbidden love and the classic enemies-to-lovers trope. There’s something for everyone on this list!
Booktok’s beloved novels such as Sinners Anonymous by Somme Sketcher and The Sweetest Oblivion by Danielle Lori are great options to get started with.
So, pick your favourite and dive into a world of danger and passion today.
