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Married to the Mafia
From bestselling author Lucy Smoke comes a new dark mafia romcom full of high heat, hilarious banter, and a marriage-of-convenience love story, perfect for fans of Butcher & Blackbird and Rook & Rebel.
Daisy Turner is a broke, single, recent college graduate who would say yes to just about anything if it helps her climb out of the pile of debt she’s in. Which is why she agrees to fill in for her roommate as a waitress catering a high-end private wedding. Her expectations are low—at most she’ll get a small stack of cash and a free meal, right? Wrong. Bad luck has a way of finding her, and so it’s no surprise that she would become an accomplice to a murder. Okay, not an accomplice but definitely a witness.
Turns out the wedding is an arranged marriage between two rival crime families, and the woman who died was supposed to be the bride. As the sole witness and the only living, breathing woman within feet of the angry and ruggedly handsome soon-to-be husband, Daisy knows she has to do something. Unfortunately offering to bake him a sympathy casserole isn’t what he was looking for. Sorry for your loss, also not good enough. She's sure he’ll kill her on the spot but instead he shakes his head and gives an ultimatum.
Death or marriage.
Of course Daisy chooses to marry the man. Marriages can be annulled, but there’s no coming back from death...
Daisy Turner is a broke, single, recent college graduate who would say yes to just about anything if it helps her climb out of the pile of debt she’s in. Which is why she agrees to fill in for her roommate as a waitress catering a high-end private wedding. Her expectations are low—at most she’ll get a small stack of cash and a free meal, right? Wrong. Bad luck has a way of finding her, and so it’s no surprise that she would become an accomplice to a murder. Okay, not an accomplice but definitely a witness.
Turns out the wedding is an arranged marriage between two rival crime families, and the woman who died was supposed to be the bride. As the sole witness and the only living, breathing woman within feet of the angry and ruggedly handsome soon-to-be husband, Daisy knows she has to do something. Unfortunately offering to bake him a sympathy casserole isn’t what he was looking for. Sorry for your loss, also not good enough. She's sure he’ll kill her on the spot but instead he shakes his head and gives an ultimatum.
Death or marriage.
Of course Daisy chooses to marry the man. Marriages can be annulled, but there’s no coming back from death...
352 pages, Paperback
Published April 21, 2026
About the author
Lucy Smoke
72 books3,051 followersLucy Smoke, also known as Lucinda Dark for her fantasy works, has a master’s degree in English and is a self-proclaimed creative chihuahua. She enjoys feeding her wanderlust, cover addiction, as well as her face, and truly hopes people will stop giving her bath bombs as gifts. Bath’s get cold too fast and it’s just not as wonderful as the commercials make it out to be when the tub isn’t a jacuzzi.
When she’s not on a never-ending quest to find the perfect milkshake, she lives and works in the southern United States with her beloved fur-baby, Hiro, and her family and friends.
When she’s not on a never-ending quest to find the perfect milkshake, she lives and works in the southern United States with her beloved fur-baby, Hiro, and her family and friends.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 418 reviews
April 24, 2026
4.0 ★— One day you’re a waitress just trying to get your first job post-grad, the next day you’re forcibly married to a high-ranking mafia member.
This was the perfect vibes-based, entertaining read to brighten up my day! Though, I do have to say, even as someone who doesn’t typically read dark romance, I still don’t think this felt all that dark? There were some character deaths, which is expected from a mafia book, but this felt more like a light romcom with a mafia romance varnish than anything approaching dark.
And while I did really enjoy this, I do have to acknowledge that the relationship dynamic between the two leads definitely wasn’t the most well developed, as Daisy and Giulio spend a significant amount of time apart, which really isn’t conducive to a strong romance. I had no issue with this, as I thought the humor and premise were unserious and fun enough to entertain me anyway, but I definitely felt like the romance could have used some more scenes of them just interacting.
Daisy herself got points from me for not being the damsel in distress I feared she’d be at the beginning, as the book slowly reveals her more dangerous side. I kind of wish this had been explored more deeply and led to more moments between her and the MMC, Giulio. Another thing that felt like a missed opportunity was the shared background of them both being former foster kids, which could have led to so much more bonding and maybe scenes of them opening up to each other.
Alas, this is a fun rom-com that's not too big on character or relationship development, but works well in delivering humor, so I fully recommend this as non-emotionally taxing mafia romance that lets you blissfully shut your brain off for its duration!
🎧 Audiobook Notes
🎙️ Narration Style: Dual
⭐ Listener Rating: 5/5
This is the PERFECT fun, shorter listen that I am convinced really benefits from an audiobook! The different voices and humor stand out, and I thought the male narrator was a great fit for the MMC!
_______________
Thank you to Hachette Audio for the ALC.
This was the perfect vibes-based, entertaining read to brighten up my day! Though, I do have to say, even as someone who doesn’t typically read dark romance, I still don’t think this felt all that dark? There were some character deaths, which is expected from a mafia book, but this felt more like a light romcom with a mafia romance varnish than anything approaching dark.
And while I did really enjoy this, I do have to acknowledge that the relationship dynamic between the two leads definitely wasn’t the most well developed, as Daisy and Giulio spend a significant amount of time apart, which really isn’t conducive to a strong romance. I had no issue with this, as I thought the humor and premise were unserious and fun enough to entertain me anyway, but I definitely felt like the romance could have used some more scenes of them just interacting.
Daisy herself got points from me for not being the damsel in distress I feared she’d be at the beginning, as the book slowly reveals her more dangerous side. I kind of wish this had been explored more deeply and led to more moments between her and the MMC, Giulio. Another thing that felt like a missed opportunity was the shared background of them both being former foster kids, which could have led to so much more bonding and maybe scenes of them opening up to each other.
Alas, this is a fun rom-com that's not too big on character or relationship development, but works well in delivering humor, so I fully recommend this as non-emotionally taxing mafia romance that lets you blissfully shut your brain off for its duration!
🎧 Audiobook Notes
🎙️ Narration Style: Dual
⭐ Listener Rating: 5/5
This is the PERFECT fun, shorter listen that I am convinced really benefits from an audiobook! The different voices and humor stand out, and I thought the male narrator was a great fit for the MMC!
_______________
Thank you to Hachette Audio for the ALC.
![Profile Image for Bloomy Soul [ hiatus ].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1777627337i/194276489._UX200_CR0,23,200,200_.jpg)
May 6, 2026
⤳ 3 stars ⊹ ࣪ ˖ Married to the Mafia by Lucy Smoke ˎˊ˗
For me, this book was just okay-ish. The writing style was simple and easy to follow.
The arranged marriage setup had a strong start, and I was actually excited in the beginning. But as the story went on, something felt… missing. The spark between the characters just wasn’t there. Their chemistry didn’t hit the way I expected, and everything started to feel a bit too normal and predictable.
Giulio La Rosa falling in love so easily wasn’t convincing to me. I was expecting something more intense or layered.
As for Daisy La Rosa, I did enjoy her character 😃. The “Mean Daisy” 😈 voice in her head was interesting and added a fun, slightly chaotic edge, almost like her inner devil making things more entertaining.
Overall, it didn’t fully deliver for me.
── .✦ started on 30 April, 2026
── .✦ finished on 6 May, 2026
⋮ ⌗ ┆ Pre-read🗡️
MAFIA MAFIA MAFIA 🏃🏻♀️🏃🏻♀️🏃🏻♀️
Buddy reading with my irl bestie!! 💜
── .✦ 30 April,2026.
For me, this book was just okay-ish. The writing style was simple and easy to follow.
The arranged marriage setup had a strong start, and I was actually excited in the beginning. But as the story went on, something felt… missing. The spark between the characters just wasn’t there. Their chemistry didn’t hit the way I expected, and everything started to feel a bit too normal and predictable.
Giulio La Rosa falling in love so easily wasn’t convincing to me. I was expecting something more intense or layered.
As for Daisy La Rosa, I did enjoy her character 😃. The “Mean Daisy” 😈 voice in her head was interesting and added a fun, slightly chaotic edge, almost like her inner devil making things more entertaining.
Overall, it didn’t fully deliver for me.
── .✦ started on 30 April, 2026
── .✦ finished on 6 May, 2026
⋮ ⌗ ┆ Pre-read🗡️
MAFIA MAFIA MAFIA 🏃🏻♀️🏃🏻♀️🏃🏻♀️
Buddy reading with my irl bestie!! 💜
── .✦ 30 April,2026.
![Profile Image for Rae ‧₊˚౨ৎ. [Hiatus].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1777030413i/183054580._UX200_CR0,33,200,200_.jpg)
May 3, 2026
⤷ 3 stars — ★★★☆☆
⸝⸝⏰‧₊˚.୭⸝⸝⸝ start: 29.04.2026 | finish: 30.04.2026
♡ Thank you so much to Netgalley and the author for giving me an arc of this book. I really appreciate it!! 𐔌՞. .՞𐦯
🎧 ₊˚ listened to the audiobook
════∘◦❁◦∘════
⸝⸝ ꒰🏴꒱·₊What to expect:
𐔌♥️𐦯 forced marriage
𐔌🖤𐦯 dark humour
𐔌♥️𐦯 dual pov
𐔌🖤𐦯 found family
⤷ swearing/cursing (f*ck, sh*t, b*tch), violence, murder, blood, death, torture, injuries, sexual assault, kidnapping, mention of abuse & suicide
⤷ spice 2.25 🌶️
₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇
⸝⸝ ꒰💋꒱·₊Thoughts:
Writing a review for a book that you didn't really like, is about as fun as eating cheese. So, not fun. At all.
Let me begin with saying that, I am really sad this book didn't turn out to be what I expected.
And I kinda expected a bit. Not much, but waaay more than what actually came out. But first, I am going to start with everything I liked of course. For me, the whole idea and setting of the story was pretty interesting. I mean, I am always down for a good arranged marriage and comedy is appreciated as well. So I actually enjoyed this book for like 60-75% before everything went downhill. 🥲 For example, I really loved 'Mean Daisy' (more to her later) and Daisy's banter. To be honest, their arguing was what actually made the book funny... Also, at the beginning of every chapter, there would be a small note, where we got things like Dear Life. F*ck your lemons. They aren't working anymore. Give me shotguns instead.
😂😂😂
But of course, there were also things I didn't like. Unfortunately, quite a lot. First of all, the plot was suuper predictable. Like, I was hoping that there would be something, anything, I wouldn't have expected. But no. It went on exactly the way I feared it would. Predictable and boring. Speaking of plot, it was SO CLEAR who the mole was. Like, with how stupid and oblivious the characters were acting, I thought maybe I was wrong and the mole was going to be someone I didn't expect at all. Someone mind blowing. Let me tell you.
I. Thought. Wrong.
But towards the ending, the book REALLY disappointed me. It was getting more boring and the characters more annoying. For example, they had an argument, which was totally unnecessary, but they didn't even talk it out! Gulio, the MMC, was like: "we'll talk about this later." YEAH. You REALLY talked about it. Note the sarcasm. And at the end of the book? I was staring at the wall. Because it was unexpected. In the bad way.
Lastly, let's talk about the chemistry. WHY THE HELL DO I HAVE MORE CHEMISTRY WITH MY TOILET?! 🚽 Seriously, this was the most worst Insta Love that was portrayed as slow burn. It was basically: Gulio sees Daisy cooking — falls in love with her. Daisy notices Gulio listens when she talks — proceeds to fall in love with him. WHAAT? Guys, really. That's how it happened. I'm not exaggerating.
⸝⸝ ꒰♣️꒱·₊Characters:
୭ Daisy
⤷ Ok so my feelings are kinda complicated when it comes to her. For like half of the book, she was funny and nice and innocent. Ok maybe not, thaat innocent but definitely not a badass. But then she just randomly kills a man and suddenly perceives herself as a badass and that killing a man is a achievement. What? No girl. No. That just makes you crazy. Daisy was also kind of weird. Instead of crying and screaming when seeing a dead woman she just compares her to cadaver. Haha. What. The. Flip.
⤷ Mean Daisy
Uhm. The fact that mean Daisy existed in the book just highlighted Daisy's craziness. I mean uh she some kind of alter ego that lives in Daisy's mind and tells her to kill off everyone on the planet. Oh. Okay. Why not? But she was really funny, especially when she was arguing with Daisy that killing Gulio would be more efficient.
────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────
✧ Gulio
⤷ Meh. I didn't hate him but I also didn't love him. I did think he was kind of superficial. I mean, the only thing he was thinking about was Dais, Daisy and Daisy again and ok that's not that bad. But where is your backstory? Depth? Hight? With? Length? ANYTHING. Boring. Yawn. 🥱
₊᧔ෆ᧓✩‧₊˚౨ৎ. ꪆৎ ୨୧ 𝜗𝜚
⸝⸝ ꒰🌹꒱·₊Summary:
⤷ So uhm. Even though there were a lot of things I don't enjoy towards the ending, I still liked the book from the beginning, which is why this is three stars. I don't know if I would recommend it though...
Thanks for reading my review loves!! ♥️🖤♥️🖤♥️🖤
⸝⸝ Pre - listen‧₊˚.୭
I got the arc!! 🥳🥳🥳 I'm so exited for my second audiobook this year hehe. And arranged marriage? Dark rom-com? Banter and all that? SIGN ME UP!! I'm so exited because I'm gonna start listening to this on a LONG TRIP. So, perfect!!
────୨ৎ────⊹
⸝⸝⏰‧₊˚.୭⸝⸝⸝ start: 29.04.2026 | finish: 30.04.2026
♡ Thank you so much to Netgalley and the author for giving me an arc of this book. I really appreciate it!! 𐔌՞. .՞𐦯
🎧 ₊˚ listened to the audiobook
════∘◦❁◦∘════
⸝⸝ ꒰🏴꒱·₊What to expect:
𐔌♥️𐦯 forced marriage
𐔌🖤𐦯 dark humour
𐔌♥️𐦯 dual pov
𐔌🖤𐦯 found family
⤷ swearing/cursing (f*ck, sh*t, b*tch), violence, murder, blood, death, torture, injuries, sexual assault, kidnapping, mention of abuse & suicide
⤷ spice 2.25 🌶️
₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇
⸝⸝ ꒰💋꒱·₊Thoughts:
Writing a review for a book that you didn't really like, is about as fun as eating cheese. So, not fun. At all.
Let me begin with saying that, I am really sad this book didn't turn out to be what I expected.
And I kinda expected a bit. Not much, but waaay more than what actually came out. But first, I am going to start with everything I liked of course. For me, the whole idea and setting of the story was pretty interesting. I mean, I am always down for a good arranged marriage and comedy is appreciated as well. So I actually enjoyed this book for like 60-75% before everything went downhill. 🥲 For example, I really loved 'Mean Daisy' (more to her later) and Daisy's banter. To be honest, their arguing was what actually made the book funny... Also, at the beginning of every chapter, there would be a small note, where we got things like Dear Life. F*ck your lemons. They aren't working anymore. Give me shotguns instead.
😂😂😂
But of course, there were also things I didn't like. Unfortunately, quite a lot. First of all, the plot was suuper predictable. Like, I was hoping that there would be something, anything, I wouldn't have expected. But no. It went on exactly the way I feared it would. Predictable and boring. Speaking of plot, it was SO CLEAR who the mole was. Like, with how stupid and oblivious the characters were acting, I thought maybe I was wrong and the mole was going to be someone I didn't expect at all. Someone mind blowing. Let me tell you.
I. Thought. Wrong.
But towards the ending, the book REALLY disappointed me. It was getting more boring and the characters more annoying. For example, they had an argument, which was totally unnecessary, but they didn't even talk it out! Gulio, the MMC, was like: "we'll talk about this later." YEAH. You REALLY talked about it. Note the sarcasm. And at the end of the book? I was staring at the wall. Because it was unexpected. In the bad way.
Lastly, let's talk about the chemistry. WHY THE HELL DO I HAVE MORE CHEMISTRY WITH MY TOILET?! 🚽 Seriously, this was the most worst Insta Love that was portrayed as slow burn. It was basically: Gulio sees Daisy cooking — falls in love with her. Daisy notices Gulio listens when she talks — proceeds to fall in love with him. WHAAT? Guys, really. That's how it happened. I'm not exaggerating.
⸝⸝ ꒰♣️꒱·₊Characters:
୭ Daisy
⤷ Ok so my feelings are kinda complicated when it comes to her. For like half of the book, she was funny and nice and innocent. Ok maybe not, thaat innocent but definitely not a badass. But then she just randomly kills a man and suddenly perceives herself as a badass and that killing a man is a achievement. What? No girl. No. That just makes you crazy. Daisy was also kind of weird. Instead of crying and screaming when seeing a dead woman she just compares her to cadaver. Haha. What. The. Flip.
⤷ Mean Daisy
Uhm. The fact that mean Daisy existed in the book just highlighted Daisy's craziness. I mean uh she some kind of alter ego that lives in Daisy's mind and tells her to kill off everyone on the planet. Oh. Okay. Why not? But she was really funny, especially when she was arguing with Daisy that killing Gulio would be more efficient.
────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────
✧ Gulio
⤷ Meh. I didn't hate him but I also didn't love him. I did think he was kind of superficial. I mean, the only thing he was thinking about was Dais, Daisy and Daisy again and ok that's not that bad. But where is your backstory? Depth? Hight? With? Length? ANYTHING. Boring. Yawn. 🥱
₊᧔ෆ᧓✩‧₊˚౨ৎ. ꪆৎ ୨୧ 𝜗𝜚
⸝⸝ ꒰🌹꒱·₊Summary:
⤷ So uhm. Even though there were a lot of things I don't enjoy towards the ending, I still liked the book from the beginning, which is why this is three stars. I don't know if I would recommend it though...
Thanks for reading my review loves!! ♥️🖤♥️🖤♥️🖤
⸝⸝ Pre - listen‧₊˚.୭
I got the arc!! 🥳🥳🥳 I'm so exited for my second audiobook this year hehe. And arranged marriage? Dark rom-com? Banter and all that? SIGN ME UP!! I'm so exited because I'm gonna start listening to this on a LONG TRIP. So, perfect!!
────୨ৎ────⊹
May 19, 2026
"Want to be on my level? Climb, bitch."
Helllloooo can I please have that on a hoodie?!?!?
If you're going to slap Mafia anywhere near your book, I'm probably going to read it. This book had me dying laughing, and honestly I had such a fun time reading it.
Were there things that could've been better? Sure. I definitely wanted more cute “getting to know each other” moments. Like Daisy being a terrible cook while Guilio actually knows what he's doing. It would've been SO cute seeing this scary Mafia man patiently teaching her things in the kitchen. That type of vibe would've been amazing to see more of.
Also... the ending felt a little silly, awkward, and chaotic, not in a good way. But nonetheless, I still had a great time with this book.
This was my first time reading anything by Lucy Smoke, and I’ll definitely be checking out more from her backlist.
3.5 ⭐
Helllloooo can I please have that on a hoodie?!?!?
If you're going to slap Mafia anywhere near your book, I'm probably going to read it. This book had me dying laughing, and honestly I had such a fun time reading it.
Were there things that could've been better? Sure. I definitely wanted more cute “getting to know each other” moments. Like Daisy being a terrible cook while Guilio actually knows what he's doing. It would've been SO cute seeing this scary Mafia man patiently teaching her things in the kitchen. That type of vibe would've been amazing to see more of.
Also... the ending felt a little silly, awkward, and chaotic, not in a good way. But nonetheless, I still had a great time with this book.
This was my first time reading anything by Lucy Smoke, and I’ll definitely be checking out more from her backlist.
3.5 ⭐
April 22, 2026
THIS WAS A WHOLE MESS. Mean Daisy??? JAIL. 🚔💀
⭐⭐ (2 stars)
I don’t even know where to begin with Married to the Mafia by Lucy Smoke because what I thought I was getting and what I actually experienced are two VERY different things.
Let’s start with the premise:
Dead bride. Mafia wedding. Forced marriage.
Excuse me??? This should have been EVERYTHING. Darkly funny, chaotic, unhinged romance gold.
So why am I sitting here like this? 😐
Daisy. BABE. What was that.
I tried. I really did. But her inner monologue??? Absolutely not.
The “Mean Daisy” voice was so poorly executed—clunky, repetitive, and honestly just… bad. Like it pulled me out of the story every single time it popped up (which was CONSTANTLY).
Instead of adding depth, it made the entire reading experience feel like:
please stop talking. please stop talking. PLEASE STOP TALKING. 😭
And the character dynamics??
Why is everyone having full conversations… with themselves???
There was more internal dialogue than actual interaction, which made the relationships feel flat and completely unconvincing.
The romance?
What romance.
What chemistry.
WHERE WAS IT. 🧍♀️
The plot twist??
I clocked the “big reveal” so early that when it finally happened I was like…
that’s it? 😶
No tension. No payoff. Just vibes. Bad ones.
HOWEVER—let me be fair for a second:
🎧 The audiobook narration? Top tier.
Lisa Zimmerman and Gomez Pugh did what they could and honestly deserved better material because they sounded great.
Final Thoughts:
This had SUCH a good setup and could have been a dark rom-com mafia hit, but the execution just… fell apart for me.
I love a chaotic, darkly funny romance. I should have loved this.
I did not.
That said—Lucy Smoke is a well-loved author, so I’m chalking this up to a “not for me” moment. Someone out there will eat this up… I am simply not that girl. 😌
⭐⭐ (2 stars)
I don’t even know where to begin with Married to the Mafia by Lucy Smoke because what I thought I was getting and what I actually experienced are two VERY different things.
Let’s start with the premise:
Dead bride. Mafia wedding. Forced marriage.
Excuse me??? This should have been EVERYTHING. Darkly funny, chaotic, unhinged romance gold.
So why am I sitting here like this? 😐
Daisy. BABE. What was that.
I tried. I really did. But her inner monologue??? Absolutely not.
The “Mean Daisy” voice was so poorly executed—clunky, repetitive, and honestly just… bad. Like it pulled me out of the story every single time it popped up (which was CONSTANTLY).
Instead of adding depth, it made the entire reading experience feel like:
please stop talking. please stop talking. PLEASE STOP TALKING. 😭
And the character dynamics??
Why is everyone having full conversations… with themselves???
There was more internal dialogue than actual interaction, which made the relationships feel flat and completely unconvincing.
The romance?
What romance.
What chemistry.
WHERE WAS IT. 🧍♀️
The plot twist??
I clocked the “big reveal” so early that when it finally happened I was like…
that’s it? 😶
No tension. No payoff. Just vibes. Bad ones.
HOWEVER—let me be fair for a second:
🎧 The audiobook narration? Top tier.
Lisa Zimmerman and Gomez Pugh did what they could and honestly deserved better material because they sounded great.
Final Thoughts:
This had SUCH a good setup and could have been a dark rom-com mafia hit, but the execution just… fell apart for me.
I love a chaotic, darkly funny romance. I should have loved this.
I did not.
That said—Lucy Smoke is a well-loved author, so I’m chalking this up to a “not for me” moment. Someone out there will eat this up… I am simply not that girl. 😌
June 6, 2026
🖤💍 Married to the Mafia💍🖤
Holy hell, this book was so dang funny. I was laughing from beginning to end 🤣🤣
My biggest piece of advice is not to take this book too seriously. Just buckle up, go with the flow, and enjoy the laughs. It is over the top, dramatic, ridiculous in the best possible way, and somehow completely works.
Daisy and Guilio had me cackling with their banter, and the entire situation gets more absurd as the story unfolds.
Lucy Smoke has officially earned a spot on my autobuy author list. I loved the writing style, the humor landed perfectly for me, and I cannot wait to pick up more of their books.
🍷 What to Expect
• Marriage Of Convenience
• Mafia Romance
• Morally Gray Hero
• Touch Her &Die
• Forced Proximity
• Dark Romcom
• Hilarious Banter
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: April 21, 2026
🎧 Narrated by: Lisa Zimmerman & Gomez Pugh
Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.
Holy hell, this book was so dang funny. I was laughing from beginning to end 🤣🤣
My biggest piece of advice is not to take this book too seriously. Just buckle up, go with the flow, and enjoy the laughs. It is over the top, dramatic, ridiculous in the best possible way, and somehow completely works.
Daisy and Guilio had me cackling with their banter, and the entire situation gets more absurd as the story unfolds.
Lucy Smoke has officially earned a spot on my autobuy author list. I loved the writing style, the humor landed perfectly for me, and I cannot wait to pick up more of their books.
🍷 What to Expect
• Marriage Of Convenience
• Mafia Romance
• Morally Gray Hero
• Touch Her &Die
• Forced Proximity
• Dark Romcom
• Hilarious Banter
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: April 21, 2026
🎧 Narrated by: Lisa Zimmerman & Gomez Pugh
Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.
May 3, 2026
✨🐈⬛
“Adulthood is literally the worst neighbourhood you could ever live in. Zero stars. Do not recommend.”
🐈⬛✨
⤿🥀26/04/26
➸2.75 stars | Ughhh this book would have been great if there was not so much of FMC's inner monologue in the form of "mean daisy", LIKE GO TO HELL IS ALL I WILL SAY!😒 Otherwise, this is probably by far obe of the most unhinged books I've read in years, like the dark humour 🙂↔️🖐🏻 I laughed so much reading it, if only her inner monologues weren't repetitive runining the comtinuation of the plot. I binged this in like 3 hours, so if you want a book to just pass time and don't mind the mafia, go read this 🙂↕️
⤿🥀26/04/26
➸2.75 stars | Ughhh this book would have been great if there was not so much of FMC's inner monologue in the form of "mean daisy", LIKE GO TO HELL IS ALL I WILL SAY!😒 Otherwise, this is probably by far obe of the most unhinged books I've read in years, like the dark humour 🙂↔️🖐🏻 I laughed so much reading it, if only her inner monologues weren't repetitive runining the comtinuation of the plot. I binged this in like 3 hours, so if you want a book to just pass time and don't mind the mafia, go read this 🙂↕️
May 4, 2026
i’m not even gonna lie… the mmc kinda ruined this for me 🥲 every time it switched to his pov i was bored and just waiting to get back to daisy. her parts were actually fun and kept me interested, but his just didn’t hit the same. the whole idea had so much potential, i just wish i cared more about him because it would’ve made the story way better for me
still a decent read, just very much here for daisy and daisy only
thank you netgalley for the arc!
still a decent read, just very much here for daisy and daisy only
thank you netgalley for the arc!
April 27, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in return for an honest and voluntary review.
This book was honestly so fun! Our FMC was honestly so funny im a little bit obsessed with her (please Daisy AND Mean Daisy, just give me one chance). I already really do enjoy mafia romance and darker romances so taking that but also adding in a more comedic character in the form of Daisy was genuinely so enjoyable.
In fact, both of our main characters were so fun to me! Both coming from less fortunate means of life and seeing how both end up in the same place through different journeys was super fun to read and I can honestly say I'm a little too attached to them.
I will say that the plot was a little predictable at points but even so I still had a thoroughly good time with this one!
Both narrators were so easy to listen to - and they articulated their emotions throughout the book so clearly. I'd definitely love to check out more of their work!
I'd also loveeeee if we ever got more books set within this family, Dante, Michelle, Alonzo and Bianca im looking at you rn
This book was honestly so fun! Our FMC was honestly so funny im a little bit obsessed with her (please Daisy AND Mean Daisy, just give me one chance). I already really do enjoy mafia romance and darker romances so taking that but also adding in a more comedic character in the form of Daisy was genuinely so enjoyable.
In fact, both of our main characters were so fun to me! Both coming from less fortunate means of life and seeing how both end up in the same place through different journeys was super fun to read and I can honestly say I'm a little too attached to them.
I will say that the plot was a little predictable at points but even so I still had a thoroughly good time with this one!
Both narrators were so easy to listen to - and they articulated their emotions throughout the book so clearly. I'd definitely love to check out more of their work!
I'd also loveeeee if we ever got more books set within this family, Dante, Michelle, Alonzo and Bianca im looking at you rn
May 6, 2026
This was so much fun! And absolte blast of a journey. We start off with the fiance of the mafia MC being murdered at the wedding and our FMC waitress being forced to take her place and get married to the MMC. She is hilarious, her inner dialogs with her inner psyco had me giggling left right and center!
I loved watching the MMC having to handle this crazy, unpredictable civilian who gives anything but civilian energy throughout the story! Their love story is humorous and sexy.
The narrators did a great job bringing these characters to life. The FMC in particular was so funny and had you cheering on her character while the MMC narrator did a perfect job delivering a sexy mafia character who is deeply troubled by his unexpected wife!
Read this for a good time! It might have dark themes, but overall I'd say its a comical dark read!
I loved watching the MMC having to handle this crazy, unpredictable civilian who gives anything but civilian energy throughout the story! Their love story is humorous and sexy.
The narrators did a great job bringing these characters to life. The FMC in particular was so funny and had you cheering on her character while the MMC narrator did a perfect job delivering a sexy mafia character who is deeply troubled by his unexpected wife!
Read this for a good time! It might have dark themes, but overall I'd say its a comical dark read!
Did Not Finish
November 29, 2025DNF @11%
the heroine was giving a rehash of the 50 Shades of Grey "inner goddess" interior monologue and i could not, would not force myself to go through that again
the heroine was giving a rehash of the 50 Shades of Grey "inner goddess" interior monologue and i could not, would not force myself to go through that again
May 13, 2026
This one was pretty fun. What happens when you're broke and you accidentally witness a murder? You assume the role of the bride of course and marry into the mafia.
Daisy Turner is a waitress and she accidentally stumbled into a crime scene at a high end New York wedding. Guillo La Rosa is the groom to be and now he's in quite the predicament because not only does he need a bride but a civilian has witnessed the crime. In an attempt to fix his problem and save her life, he gives her the ultimatum to marry him or die.
The dialogue between these two is feisty and witty. More rom-com than dark romance even with the mafia undertone, this is perfect for readers who enjoy forced proximity, marriage of convenience and morally grey men.
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Daisy Turner is a waitress and she accidentally stumbled into a crime scene at a high end New York wedding. Guillo La Rosa is the groom to be and now he's in quite the predicament because not only does he need a bride but a civilian has witnessed the crime. In an attempt to fix his problem and save her life, he gives her the ultimatum to marry him or die.
The dialogue between these two is feisty and witty. More rom-com than dark romance even with the mafia undertone, this is perfect for readers who enjoy forced proximity, marriage of convenience and morally grey men.
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.
April 23, 2026
Just finished reading an advanced copy of a book that was just released on April 21st called, Married to the Mafia. This is about Daisy, she's barely getting by after college, taking any job she can to make ends meet and pay down her debts. When Daisy takes a job as a waitress for a wedding, the last thing she expects is to leave it married to the groom. But when the bride was murdered, Daisy was a witness, and she is given an ultimatum; she can take the bride's place and marry the groom or die, her choice is quite simple.
This was a fun dark romcom about a Mafia man who needs a bride and a woman who is in the wrong place at the wrong time, which leads to a marriage of convenience for two people who end up being perfect for each other. I immersive read this book and the narrators did a really great job bringing this dual narration and dual pov story with all these characters to life, I definitely recommend the audio! Daisy was confident, strong, and fiercely protective of those she loved. And her inner voice was quirky, funny, and totally unhinged which definitely had me laughing! I loved how perfect for each other the main characters ended up being, as they got to know each other and opened up they had so much more in common than I was expecting, and it was really sweet watching this married couple date each other and fall in love. This was a fun, entertaining read and I absolutely flew through it! ❤️📚
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for this ARC and ALC of Married to the Mafia, in exchange for an honest review.
This was a fun dark romcom about a Mafia man who needs a bride and a woman who is in the wrong place at the wrong time, which leads to a marriage of convenience for two people who end up being perfect for each other. I immersive read this book and the narrators did a really great job bringing this dual narration and dual pov story with all these characters to life, I definitely recommend the audio! Daisy was confident, strong, and fiercely protective of those she loved. And her inner voice was quirky, funny, and totally unhinged which definitely had me laughing! I loved how perfect for each other the main characters ended up being, as they got to know each other and opened up they had so much more in common than I was expecting, and it was really sweet watching this married couple date each other and fall in love. This was a fun, entertaining read and I absolutely flew through it! ❤️📚
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for this ARC and ALC of Married to the Mafia, in exchange for an honest review.
May 26, 2026
This was such a chaotic read but oh so fun! Loved Daisy and the commentary lol.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy 🫶🏻
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy 🫶🏻
May 15, 2026
Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK
This was certainly entertaining. The plot was intriguing and the characters were pretty fun. Daisy was hard to actually get to know since she seemed very scattered and chaotic, which was interesting at first but sadly got old kind of fast. The whole Mean Daisy thing was a unique take on the inner thoughts but for me it just didn't work all that well. Again, it was one of those things that was cute at first but got old when it kept happening or seemed to interrupt an important scene. As for Giulio..he was there. I can't say I loved or hated his character. I think he had the potential to bring a lot of tension to the relationship but it never actually happened and in the end he fell flat.
Honestly I know I ended up unintentionally skimming part of this story and I think that was actually for the better for my enjoyment. Overall, this was different than other books I've read from this author and I'm not sorry I gave it a try. I'm pretty sure there will be more to come from side characters and I'll probably delve back into the world to get their stories.
Amazon US * Amazon UK
This was certainly entertaining. The plot was intriguing and the characters were pretty fun. Daisy was hard to actually get to know since she seemed very scattered and chaotic, which was interesting at first but sadly got old kind of fast. The whole Mean Daisy thing was a unique take on the inner thoughts but for me it just didn't work all that well. Again, it was one of those things that was cute at first but got old when it kept happening or seemed to interrupt an important scene. As for Giulio..he was there. I can't say I loved or hated his character. I think he had the potential to bring a lot of tension to the relationship but it never actually happened and in the end he fell flat.
Honestly I know I ended up unintentionally skimming part of this story and I think that was actually for the better for my enjoyment. Overall, this was different than other books I've read from this author and I'm not sorry I gave it a try. I'm pretty sure there will be more to come from side characters and I'll probably delve back into the world to get their stories.
May 8, 2026
This was just okay for me. The hs POV was exhausting. She talks to herself and talks to her “alter ego” way too much. It happens so much I was thinking we were going to be a whole multiple personality trope for a while there. The Hs POV was much better but not good enough to save the whole book. Not enough relationship development either. I wanted to see more scene of them together. Some cute, fun scenes though.
I liked Dante a lot and the way he antagonized the H about his feelings for the h. There was enough I enjoyed to keep me pushing through but there was a lot that bore me too.
Overall: 2.5
I liked Dante a lot and the way he antagonized the H about his feelings for the h. There was enough I enjoyed to keep me pushing through but there was a lot that bore me too.
Overall: 2.5
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is my first Lucy Smoke book and what a way to start!
Daisy is just a girl (who DEFINITELY has ADHD) trying to make ends meet after college. Taking temp jobs anywhere she can get em. To accidentally wind up finding the bride unalived before her wedding was NOT what she expected.
Getting to see a former foster kid with some deep down RAGE come out as 'Mean Daisy' her alternate persona, was DIVINE and I need this x 1000 please.
G and Daisy are so adorable together, their chemistry, ugh I was locked in. I will warn that she is definitely high energy and in the audio format it felt like I was on speed lol so prepare yourself if you're a low energy person. I freaking died laughing so many times at how weird her inner thoughts are and had a healthy amount of second hand embarrassment. I saw all the twists as they came but still had a great time.
ALC: Dual Narration was done so well! Both narrators really nailed G's dark deep voice while contrasting Daisy's without sounding weird (some dudes struggle with this lets be honest). Thank you Hachette Audio and the author for this ALC opportunity!
Add to your TBR if you like:
- dark mafia rom com
- marriage of convenience
- morally grey MCs
- found family
- foster rep
- banter
- he falls hard
- accidental m*rder
- age gap 23F x 31M (8 yrs)
- touch her and d!e
Please check TW as they discuss some dark themes quite personally.
Daisy is just a girl (who DEFINITELY has ADHD) trying to make ends meet after college. Taking temp jobs anywhere she can get em. To accidentally wind up finding the bride unalived before her wedding was NOT what she expected.
Getting to see a former foster kid with some deep down RAGE come out as 'Mean Daisy' her alternate persona, was DIVINE and I need this x 1000 please.
G and Daisy are so adorable together, their chemistry, ugh I was locked in. I will warn that she is definitely high energy and in the audio format it felt like I was on speed lol so prepare yourself if you're a low energy person. I freaking died laughing so many times at how weird her inner thoughts are and had a healthy amount of second hand embarrassment. I saw all the twists as they came but still had a great time.
ALC: Dual Narration was done so well! Both narrators really nailed G's dark deep voice while contrasting Daisy's without sounding weird (some dudes struggle with this lets be honest). Thank you Hachette Audio and the author for this ALC opportunity!
Add to your TBR if you like:
- dark mafia rom com
- marriage of convenience
- morally grey MCs
- found family
- foster rep
- banter
- he falls hard
- accidental m*rder
- age gap 23F x 31M (8 yrs)
- touch her and d!e
Please check TW as they discuss some dark themes quite personally.
May 22, 2026
Dramatic, Funny, and Full of Mafia Romance!
Now this is a beautiful story! It has everything I love—mafia romance, forced proximity, forced marriage, and so much more.
The story follows Daisy, who stumbles upon something she shouldn’t have and is forced into marriage to save herself.
Every character in this book is well-written, and my favorite side characters are Dante and Michelle. Dante is so amazing—accepting Daisy into the family and always advocating for her—while Michelle is the perfect supportive friend.
Gulio is such a sweet MMC; even in his moments of denial, it’s clear he loves Daisy. And Daisy herself is hilarious—she kept me laughing throughout.
This is a 4-star read that I definitely recommend!
Now this is a beautiful story! It has everything I love—mafia romance, forced proximity, forced marriage, and so much more.
The story follows Daisy, who stumbles upon something she shouldn’t have and is forced into marriage to save herself.
Every character in this book is well-written, and my favorite side characters are Dante and Michelle. Dante is so amazing—accepting Daisy into the family and always advocating for her—while Michelle is the perfect supportive friend.
Gulio is such a sweet MMC; even in his moments of denial, it’s clear he loves Daisy. And Daisy herself is hilarious—she kept me laughing throughout.
This is a 4-star read that I definitely recommend!
April 4, 2026
I found it really hard to push through first 20% of this book because Daisy’s inner monologue kept making me cringe. Past that, there was no chemistry between Daisy and Giulio. I feel like this book/plot had a lot of potential, but the writing did not do it justice.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
April 8, 2026
✨ ARC REVIEW ✨
⭐️ 3/5
📅 April 21, 2026
❤️ Marriage of Convenience
❤️ Mafia Romance
❤️ Forced Proximity
❤️ Morally Gray Hero
❤️ Touch Her and Die
❤️ Dark Rom-Com
This book literally starts with a dead bride… so yeah, I was immediately invested. 🤯
Daisy is just a waitress who picked up her friend’s shift for a wedding and ends up walking in on a murder. And instead of, you know… letting her leave… they decide the solution is marriage. Casual.
Giulio is being forced into marriage by his Don because apparently a man with no family has nothing to lose, which honestly makes sense for the mafia, but also… sir???
Daisy’s inner monologue was probably my favorite part of this whole book. She is so chaotic and says the most unhinged things in her head, I was laughing way more than I expected to.
The dynamic between everyone had some really funny moments too. Dante especially had me laughing, him asking Giulio if he was going to date his own wife took me out 😂
I also really liked Daisy and Michelle’s friendship. The Tiffany’s breakfast promise was so cute and felt like one of the more grounded parts of the story.
That said… this book kind of went off the rails for me in the last 20%. Things started happening really fast, and I felt like some of it didn’t fully make sense or didn’t get followed up on. There were also a few things that just felt unresolved by the end.
I also didn’t fully feel the chemistry between Daisy and Giulio, which made it harder to stay emotionally invested in their relationship.
Overall, this leaned way more rom-com than dark romance for me. I was definitely entertained and laughed a lot, but the plot and pacing issues kept it at a 3⭐️.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I’m grateful for the opportunity to read this early. All thoughts are my own.
⭐️ 3/5
📅 April 21, 2026
❤️ Marriage of Convenience
❤️ Mafia Romance
❤️ Forced Proximity
❤️ Morally Gray Hero
❤️ Touch Her and Die
❤️ Dark Rom-Com
This book literally starts with a dead bride… so yeah, I was immediately invested. 🤯
Daisy is just a waitress who picked up her friend’s shift for a wedding and ends up walking in on a murder. And instead of, you know… letting her leave… they decide the solution is marriage. Casual.
Giulio is being forced into marriage by his Don because apparently a man with no family has nothing to lose, which honestly makes sense for the mafia, but also… sir???
Daisy’s inner monologue was probably my favorite part of this whole book. She is so chaotic and says the most unhinged things in her head, I was laughing way more than I expected to.
The dynamic between everyone had some really funny moments too. Dante especially had me laughing, him asking Giulio if he was going to date his own wife took me out 😂
I also really liked Daisy and Michelle’s friendship. The Tiffany’s breakfast promise was so cute and felt like one of the more grounded parts of the story.
That said… this book kind of went off the rails for me in the last 20%. Things started happening really fast, and I felt like some of it didn’t fully make sense or didn’t get followed up on. There were also a few things that just felt unresolved by the end.
I also didn’t fully feel the chemistry between Daisy and Giulio, which made it harder to stay emotionally invested in their relationship.
Overall, this leaned way more rom-com than dark romance for me. I was definitely entertained and laughed a lot, but the plot and pacing issues kept it at a 3⭐️.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I’m grateful for the opportunity to read this early. All thoughts are my own.
May 2, 2026
Okay, there's one GLARING drawback to this book and it (literally) rears its ugly head in chapter 1.
Daisy has an alternate personality she calls Mean Daisy. Mean Daisy, you may have already guessed, is a psychopath hell-bent on murder and mayhem.
I don't mind an FMC with a murdery side. Give me all the violence.
I don't even mind that this alternate personality or split personality came from her trauma as a young girl in foster care. THAT is actually a good detail.
But having full blown conversations with it like it's a totally separate character? To the point where these conversations directly affect Daisy's ability to pay attention to the things going on around her?
Jail.
The number of times this woman zones out while she's arguing with this fictional psycho in her head and then zones back in halfway through an interaction with Giulio or whoever...astronomical. And super fucking stupid.
And it's COMICAL how bad this representation is. It's written the way I wrote fanfic in high school. Before I knew HOW to write.
Maybe you could skin one of the men holding you here and wear them as a coat, Mean Daisy suggests, pressing the tip of her finger to a switchblade that has magically appeared out of nowhere and rotating it until a bead of red appears. Then, with a grin my way, she lifts the bloodied tip of the digit to her mouth and sucks it into cushiony red lips.
It's giving Anastasia and her Inner Goddess and if I were a less dedicated reader, I'd have put this book down before I even got 5 pages in.
In general, the worst part of this story is Daisy and her weird inner monologue.
The set up is interesting, in the dark rom-com sort of way. Mafia wedding, but the bride's dead. Enter the FMC who gets...coerced...into stepping into the role instead. This had potential to be a riot!
But it was a kind of agony, being stuck in Daisy's head half the time.
Because she's just goddamned ridiculous.
When she's not talking to her alternate personality, she's acting like an absolute child. Like a pouty and petulant, argumentative, spastic, idiot.
I don't understand what Giulio saw in the woman. At all.
I'm gonna stop here with her because frankly, she's not worth any more review space.
The plot - sigh. I wanted to enjoy it, I really did. But there's SO much that's glossed over in favor of all the characters just sort of standing around talking to themselves???? that nothing really happened.
We're rarely invited along to the Mafia-ing that Giulio does. The threat to Daisy...isn't.
I was expecting so much more danger! For high stakes and gore and, I dunno, Mafia shakedowns!
We get almost none of it.
This could have been such a darkly hilarious, gory, bloody, chaotic mess - in the best way. But unfortunately, we get a book that's half-baked instead.
The 'big reveal' of who the mole in Giulio's organization is wasn't a surprise. He was as obvious as the day is long - and he wasn't even all that intimidating? He has 1 slightly strange conversation with Daisy and then the climax happens before anything can even come from it.
If you're going to promise a threat - MAKE THEM AN ACTUAL THREAT!
I wanted this to be something it definitely wasn't. If you enjoy things like Light's Out this might be something you have a good time with. To it's credit, there are genuinely amusing bits, and it is a fast and easy read.
But for me personally, it was lackluster.
I just don't think it went far enough. Smoke got too caught up in having her FMC argue with her alter ego to actually show us any of the dark shit she promised. I'm disappointed.
Daisy has an alternate personality she calls Mean Daisy. Mean Daisy, you may have already guessed, is a psychopath hell-bent on murder and mayhem.
I don't mind an FMC with a murdery side. Give me all the violence.
I don't even mind that this alternate personality or split personality came from her trauma as a young girl in foster care. THAT is actually a good detail.
But having full blown conversations with it like it's a totally separate character? To the point where these conversations directly affect Daisy's ability to pay attention to the things going on around her?
Jail.
The number of times this woman zones out while she's arguing with this fictional psycho in her head and then zones back in halfway through an interaction with Giulio or whoever...astronomical. And super fucking stupid.
And it's COMICAL how bad this representation is. It's written the way I wrote fanfic in high school. Before I knew HOW to write.
Maybe you could skin one of the men holding you here and wear them as a coat, Mean Daisy suggests, pressing the tip of her finger to a switchblade that has magically appeared out of nowhere and rotating it until a bead of red appears. Then, with a grin my way, she lifts the bloodied tip of the digit to her mouth and sucks it into cushiony red lips.
It's giving Anastasia and her Inner Goddess and if I were a less dedicated reader, I'd have put this book down before I even got 5 pages in.
In general, the worst part of this story is Daisy and her weird inner monologue.
The set up is interesting, in the dark rom-com sort of way. Mafia wedding, but the bride's dead. Enter the FMC who gets...coerced...into stepping into the role instead. This had potential to be a riot!
But it was a kind of agony, being stuck in Daisy's head half the time.
Because she's just goddamned ridiculous.
When she's not talking to her alternate personality, she's acting like an absolute child. Like a pouty and petulant, argumentative, spastic, idiot.
I don't understand what Giulio saw in the woman. At all.
I'm gonna stop here with her because frankly, she's not worth any more review space.
The plot - sigh. I wanted to enjoy it, I really did. But there's SO much that's glossed over in favor of all the characters just sort of standing around talking to themselves???? that nothing really happened.
We're rarely invited along to the Mafia-ing that Giulio does. The threat to Daisy...isn't.
I was expecting so much more danger! For high stakes and gore and, I dunno, Mafia shakedowns!
We get almost none of it.
This could have been such a darkly hilarious, gory, bloody, chaotic mess - in the best way. But unfortunately, we get a book that's half-baked instead.
The 'big reveal' of who the mole in Giulio's organization is wasn't a surprise. He was as obvious as the day is long - and he wasn't even all that intimidating? He has 1 slightly strange conversation with Daisy and then the climax happens before anything can even come from it.
If you're going to promise a threat - MAKE THEM AN ACTUAL THREAT!
I wanted this to be something it definitely wasn't. If you enjoy things like Light's Out this might be something you have a good time with. To it's credit, there are genuinely amusing bits, and it is a fast and easy read.
But for me personally, it was lackluster.
I just don't think it went far enough. Smoke got too caught up in having her FMC argue with her alter ego to actually show us any of the dark shit she promised. I'm disappointed.
May 12, 2026
Audiobook 4 Stars!
Arranged Marriage Gone Wrong + Mafia MMC + Tortured Pasts + Touch Her and Die Vibes
Daisy Turner finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. While filling in a waitressing shift for her best friend, she stumbles upon a murdered fiancée and is convinced by the mafioso husband that she must fill the spot and become his bride. Daisy agrees under duress and is swept into the mafia lifestyle. Julio comes from a tortured past, similar to Daisy, and is the adopted son of the Italian mafia don. While his feelings for Daisy are purely indifferent at first, he is quickly wooed over by her "take no shit" personality and she is tougher than she looks. She blends into his mafia crime lifestyle seamlessly and sparks quickly fly.
I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two main characters. They seemed perfect for each other and their spice was great! I found myself getting a little annoyed with Daisy's "alter ego", it felt a little forced and unnatural. Like it was trying to be overly funny.
For the narration, I really enjoyed the narrators. Their voices are exactly how I imagined the characters to sound like. The Italian accent was spot on and made the mafia men sound more authentic.
I cant wait to read the rest of the series!
This book was sent to me from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Arranged Marriage Gone Wrong + Mafia MMC + Tortured Pasts + Touch Her and Die Vibes
Daisy Turner finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. While filling in a waitressing shift for her best friend, she stumbles upon a murdered fiancée and is convinced by the mafioso husband that she must fill the spot and become his bride. Daisy agrees under duress and is swept into the mafia lifestyle. Julio comes from a tortured past, similar to Daisy, and is the adopted son of the Italian mafia don. While his feelings for Daisy are purely indifferent at first, he is quickly wooed over by her "take no shit" personality and she is tougher than she looks. She blends into his mafia crime lifestyle seamlessly and sparks quickly fly.
I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two main characters. They seemed perfect for each other and their spice was great! I found myself getting a little annoyed with Daisy's "alter ego", it felt a little forced and unnatural. Like it was trying to be overly funny.
For the narration, I really enjoyed the narrators. Their voices are exactly how I imagined the characters to sound like. The Italian accent was spot on and made the mafia men sound more authentic.
I cant wait to read the rest of the series!
This book was sent to me from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 15, 2026
Daisy’s inner monologue with herself was hilarious, especially when it came to her husband or death. That girl went through it, so I get why Mean Daisy is a bit stab first. But the whole cadaver thing, I get it. It’s really not that bad but the smell can be horrendous.
Guilio, just hand them money and they will be happy right?! That’s such a funny line, I’m glad Dante clocked him on it. And then he fell so hard, I loved getting his side when it came to Daisy and her “weird” tendencies.
Favorite line: “If you ever go a week without letting me know that you’re okay when you’re in a dangerous situation again, I’m going to personally take each of your books and rip the covers off before burning them in a big-ass bonfire.”
Favorite chapter blurb: “Some people just need a high five. In the face. With a bullet.” -queue the cackling
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️
Length: 368 pages
Dual POV
Mafia Romance
Forced Marriage
Slow Burn
He Falls Hard
Touch Her and Die
Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and author Lucy Smoke, for providing me with the eARC of “Married to the Mafia”.
Guilio, just hand them money and they will be happy right?! That’s such a funny line, I’m glad Dante clocked him on it. And then he fell so hard, I loved getting his side when it came to Daisy and her “weird” tendencies.
Favorite line: “If you ever go a week without letting me know that you’re okay when you’re in a dangerous situation again, I’m going to personally take each of your books and rip the covers off before burning them in a big-ass bonfire.”
Favorite chapter blurb: “Some people just need a high five. In the face. With a bullet.” -queue the cackling
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️
Length: 368 pages
Dual POV
Mafia Romance
Forced Marriage
Slow Burn
He Falls Hard
Touch Her and Die
Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and author Lucy Smoke, for providing me with the eARC of “Married to the Mafia”.
April 18, 2026
4 ⭐️
Thank you forever and hachette Audio for the ALC
Okay but why did this have me HOOKED from the start?? Married to the Mafia by Lucy Smoke delivered exactly what I wanted: drama, tension, and that dangerously addictive romance that keeps you flipping pages way past bedtime.
We’ve got forced marriage, power plays, and a morally grey man who knows exactly how to push buttons (and yeah… I folded). The chemistry was chef’s kiss, that slow burn mixed with possessiveness?? Say less.
I loved how the FMC held her own in such a high-stakes world. She wasn’t just there to play a role, she challenged him, made him work for it, and I ate that up. Their dynamic had that push-and-pull tension that makes mafia romance so addictive.
The only reason it’s not a full 5⭐️ for me is I wanted just a bit more depth in certain moments. some scenes felt like they could’ve gone harder emotionally. BUT overall?? Still such a solid read.
If you love:
✨ Forced marriage
✨ Mafia romance
✨ Possessive MMCs
✨ Tension you can feel
You’ll definitely want to pick this one up.
Thank you forever and hachette Audio for the ALC
Okay but why did this have me HOOKED from the start?? Married to the Mafia by Lucy Smoke delivered exactly what I wanted: drama, tension, and that dangerously addictive romance that keeps you flipping pages way past bedtime.
We’ve got forced marriage, power plays, and a morally grey man who knows exactly how to push buttons (and yeah… I folded). The chemistry was chef’s kiss, that slow burn mixed with possessiveness?? Say less.
I loved how the FMC held her own in such a high-stakes world. She wasn’t just there to play a role, she challenged him, made him work for it, and I ate that up. Their dynamic had that push-and-pull tension that makes mafia romance so addictive.
The only reason it’s not a full 5⭐️ for me is I wanted just a bit more depth in certain moments. some scenes felt like they could’ve gone harder emotionally. BUT overall?? Still such a solid read.
If you love:
✨ Forced marriage
✨ Mafia romance
✨ Possessive MMCs
✨ Tension you can feel
You’ll definitely want to pick this one up.
April 27, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for this ALC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is a dark, funny romantic comedy about a mafia man in need of a bride and a waitress who ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I really enjoyed the audiobook narration—it was handled well, and I appreciated that Daisy didn’t shy away from the darker elements. Her inner voice, “mean Daisy,” was hilarious and delightfully unhinged at first, though it eventually became a bit too dominant in the internal monologue for my taste.
Both main characters had the potential to be a great match, especially once they started letting their guards down and realising how similar they actually are. But the chemistry never fully landed for me. Their relationship felt rushed, which is ironic considering they start off married and work backwards.
Overall, it’s an entertaining read.
This is a dark, funny romantic comedy about a mafia man in need of a bride and a waitress who ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I really enjoyed the audiobook narration—it was handled well, and I appreciated that Daisy didn’t shy away from the darker elements. Her inner voice, “mean Daisy,” was hilarious and delightfully unhinged at first, though it eventually became a bit too dominant in the internal monologue for my taste.
Both main characters had the potential to be a great match, especially once they started letting their guards down and realising how similar they actually are. But the chemistry never fully landed for me. Their relationship felt rushed, which is ironic considering they start off married and work backwards.
Overall, it’s an entertaining read.
April 30, 2026
This book was sweet, romantic, action packed, hilarious, and heart warming. I love Daisy and Guilo. He falls first and harder. They are two former foster kids that have a surprising level of understanding of each other that they didn't anticipate when they first met. I loved the duet narration both narrators had great pacing and the tone was perfect for these characters. I loved the titles for the chapter which were hilarious and set you up for what was to come, it was like an inside joke with the audience. I am a sucker for a found family story and hope there will be more in the series.
Thank you Hatchette Audio, Forever and Netgalley for this ALC, all opinions are my own.
Thank you Hatchette Audio, Forever and Netgalley for this ALC, all opinions are my own.
April 23, 2026
This had me hooked for a solid chunk of the book. It's a super quick read and I was genuinely enjoying the chaotic energy that is this book. I loved Daisy’s friendship with Michelle and Giulio as the MMC. Even Daisy’s “Mean Daisy” inner voice worked for me at first; it added a unique/slightly unhinged edge to Daisy's perspective that you don't often see with FMCs -- though it did start to feel a bit over-the-top over time.
Unfortunately, the last quarter is where things unraveled. The "big reveal" was far too obvious and Daisy’s anger toward Giulio didn’t feel consistent with their relationship at all. The epilogue also leans heavily into shock value in a way that felt excessive and ultimately soured my overall impression, pulling this down from what could’ve been a solid 3-star read.
That said, there are a couple of side character dynamics that feel very clearly set up for future books, and I’d be genuinely interested in picking those up.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review 💌
Unfortunately, the last quarter is where things unraveled. The "big reveal" was far too obvious and Daisy’s anger toward Giulio didn’t feel consistent with their relationship at all. The epilogue also leans heavily into shock value in a way that felt excessive and ultimately soured my overall impression, pulling this down from what could’ve been a solid 3-star read.
That said, there are a couple of side character dynamics that feel very clearly set up for future books, and I’d be genuinely interested in picking those up.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review 💌
April 25, 2026
Rating 1.5
This had so much potential, however, it fell short. This dark, romantic comedy starts with an event staffer coming across the dead body of the bride at an arranged mafia wedding. In exchange for keeping her life, she agreed to take the bride's place.
The FMC's narrator was great. I enjoyed her voice and performance. The narrator of the MMC was fine, but did not stand out. That could be because he had significantly less chapters than the FMC and so much of the book was consumed by her ridiculous character.
The plot has a good setup, however, the writing was what ruined this story. The FMC spent the entirety of the book talking to her inner self. The author leaned too heavily into these conversations. They sounded so forced and lost their funny fast. She spent way too much time in her head and ruined the story. Also, there was no consistency with what the character referred to her inner personality as: "Inner Daisy, Mean Daisy, Psycho Daisy." The inner personality monologue/conversations was even in the sex scenes. 😒
In addition, the jokes were repetitive and so were the considerations. "An ancient primal instinct?" 😒 Details such as the characters history and upbringing were over explained and brought up after they were already clear from the story. This came across as unnecessary fluff. Finally, the FMC's choices made no sense. She has no family except best friend, but goes MIA for a week without saying anything.
The MMC's background was interesting , yet not explored. Wasted potential. I made it 67% in and not much had happened. The villain was predictable and could've been stopped earlier if the FMC actually talked to someone else in the story besides herself.
Wanted to love it. I couldn't.
This had so much potential, however, it fell short. This dark, romantic comedy starts with an event staffer coming across the dead body of the bride at an arranged mafia wedding. In exchange for keeping her life, she agreed to take the bride's place.
The FMC's narrator was great. I enjoyed her voice and performance. The narrator of the MMC was fine, but did not stand out. That could be because he had significantly less chapters than the FMC and so much of the book was consumed by her ridiculous character.
The plot has a good setup, however, the writing was what ruined this story. The FMC spent the entirety of the book talking to her inner self. The author leaned too heavily into these conversations. They sounded so forced and lost their funny fast. She spent way too much time in her head and ruined the story. Also, there was no consistency with what the character referred to her inner personality as: "Inner Daisy, Mean Daisy, Psycho Daisy." The inner personality monologue/conversations was even in the sex scenes. 😒
In addition, the jokes were repetitive and so were the considerations. "An ancient primal instinct?" 😒 Details such as the characters history and upbringing were over explained and brought up after they were already clear from the story. This came across as unnecessary fluff. Finally, the FMC's choices made no sense. She has no family except best friend, but goes MIA for a week without saying anything.
The MMC's background was interesting , yet not explored. Wasted potential. I made it 67% in and not much had happened. The villain was predictable and could've been stopped earlier if the FMC actually talked to someone else in the story besides herself.
Wanted to love it. I couldn't.
April 29, 2026
DNF @ 34% / 9 chapters read
This is absolutely ridiculous in *almost* the right way. I love ridiculous plots and banter, unfortunately this one just goes a push too far for me.
Mean Daisy is ridiculous and I'm not actually sure if she's legit seeing her (Daisy watches Mean Daisy cut her hand on a switchblade? Daisy cuts her eyes TOWARD Mean Daisy at the beginning of lunch with the Don). I'm considered.
That aside, Daisy is so spacey, somehow doesn't pay attention during the entire wedding. Falls asleep and nothing can wake her, and didn't realize she'd have to LIVE WITH HER HUSBAND. I mean, what???
I need a bit more communication between the two main characters, but every time he tries talking to her she spaces out! It is so, so annoying.
But the story has so much potential! I really did consider pushing through, but she had just told him she hadn't paid attention like three times during one conversation.
This is absolutely ridiculous in *almost* the right way. I love ridiculous plots and banter, unfortunately this one just goes a push too far for me.
Mean Daisy is ridiculous and I'm not actually sure if she's legit seeing her (Daisy watches Mean Daisy cut her hand on a switchblade? Daisy cuts her eyes TOWARD Mean Daisy at the beginning of lunch with the Don). I'm considered.
That aside, Daisy is so spacey, somehow doesn't pay attention during the entire wedding. Falls asleep and nothing can wake her, and didn't realize she'd have to LIVE WITH HER HUSBAND. I mean, what???
I need a bit more communication between the two main characters, but every time he tries talking to her she spaces out! It is so, so annoying.
But the story has so much potential! I really did consider pushing through, but she had just told him she hadn't paid attention like three times during one conversation.
May 5, 2026
This was definitely entertaining and a really fun concept for a book but it felt very underdeveloped and I was not a fan of the whole inner monologue thing with the main character. Her alter ego, mean Daisy. It was strange.
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