Irish mafia, childhood best friends, and second chances?! Who could ask for more?! Asteria and Axriel fell in love hard at such a young age and both have been through their own Hell to be where they’re at now. Axriel might be the Devil of his own city but Asteria is the Princess of hers. Together they might quite the couple and target. I loved their story and the twist along the way. I can’t wait to find out what happens next because we’re left with a CLIFFHANGER!!

I read this book in one sitting! I literally could not put it down, it had me on the edge of my seat the entire time!
Asteria and Azriel are just sheer perfection. They had such good chemistry from page one and had me clinging on hoping they got their happily ever after.
I was not expecting any of what happens in this book. There is so much action and drama, and soft sweet moments that show that even the most heartless have tenderness. If I could just blubber for this review, I think you’d understand my feelings better. But that ending?!?! I need book 2 now!

This book starts off very slowly then quickly picks up the pace. So be warned that the first half of the book is building the plot and the history behind the characters and their connections. My favorite trope is friends to lovers to enemies to I loved you the whole time but I couldn't say it. He definitely shows his love with gift giving and that touched my heart. The book definitely hooked me with the cliffhanger however, it is a standard mafia romance. I am starting to fall for this set of characters, especially Romeo and Gio. I want to know what happens to these characters so I will be reading the next book.

I really struggled with this book. I don’t know if it was the odd Hades/Persephone storyline or just guessing where the book was going and being right. The Hades/Persephone twist seemed forced and in the way. I do think it would have been better without that.

The idea was good, it’s right up my alley, but I really struggled with it. The writing itself was really good and I did like the characters.

WOW just WOW. Asteria and Azriel started as childhood friends who had hopes of being together forever until unfortunately decisions were made (by Asterias's father) that were out of their control. and Asteria was promised to another. This drove Azriel's family to leave and all contact with Asteria was gone a move that would later cause the need for pain and retribution. Asteria a sheltered mafia princess has no idea of the world around her and remained heartbroken over the lose of Azriel for years. When time came to marry the one her father had her up on her 18th birthday her fiancé was murdered. As fate would have it the tables have turned when a few years after the murder of her fiancé her childhood LOVE returns and her father promises Asteria to Azriel. Asteria is full of questions and Azriel well he isn't the Azriel who made promises to be with her forever. He has returned a man, someone who she barely recognizes and refuses to acknowledge there is anything still between them. They do get married (with Asteria still not understanding the world around her) and together the journey through life with Asteria fighting for what was, Azriel running his empire and him continuing to shelter Asteria from a world she knows nothing of. Until that world comes to them in FULL force. I am looking forward to reading the next book on this.

I think I have discovered that I do not like mafia romances most of the time as I did not enjoy this one even though it included several tropes that I usually enjoy.

𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙡 𝙗𝙮 𝙉𝙖𝙮𝙖 𝙑

This was a 4 ⭐ for me. Non-spoiler review -

I received this ARC free from Netgally.com in exchange for an honest review.

This story is a dual point of view, between the FMC Asteria and MMC Azriel. I definitely enjoyed this angsty dark mafia romance. It is a bit friends to lovers to enemies to lovers. The author does a great job making you feel what Asteria feels and I was brought to tears a couple of times. The story follows along as she is promised to one mafia member and then another after the firsts untimely demise. I found the pace/plot/character development was all very well done. It kept me turning the pages and I wanted to know what secrets Azriel was hiding. My only complaint is after their first time together it was a little too fast for Az to make such a 180 in his attitude and treatment of Asteria.

Asteria is very naive but I really loved her. It isn’t really her fault when she has been so sheltered her whole life. I had an issue with Azriel, I didn’t really love him but he grew on me a bit. That being said, even not liking him, the spice was great. It didn’t feel like too much (I hate when it overshadows the plot or is just unnecessary) and it was detailed and I will always get on board for a dominating dirty talker!

If you enjoy dark mafia romances definitely add this to your TBR! But be prepared - there's a cliffhanger!

I am an absolute sucker for a Mafia romance! The more tropes the better! Princess and the Devil had all the best, enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, slow burn etc.

I was completely hooked for the first half / ¾ of the book (I was up until about 2am reading it I couldn't put it down) The set up for the Enemies to Lovers was done really well, but I just felt it was a bit choppy after they finally went from enemies to lovers.

The last quarter of the book in my opinion felt rushed and the connection with the characters was lost for me. It almost felt like 80% of the book was written over the course of a year or more and the last 20% was rushed out in a week.

With that in mind I did still enjoy the book for what it was and will definitely read the next one when it's out.

3.5⭐️
1.5🌶
I would like to start off by saying I genuinely enjoyed this book. I love me anything to do with mafia arraigned/forced marriage series with childhood friends-to-enemies-to- lovers/second chance romance and grumpy/sunshine. There was also a very loose Hades/Persephone undertone that I only felt occasionally.

That being said,
While I thought Azriel and Asteria’s relationship with they were teenagers was very cute I was conflicted later on. I hope we learn more about what happened after Azriel left in book 2 because it didn’t seem to know how he felt from chapter to chapter. I also really hope that Asteria develops more of a backbone/independence in book 2. Yes, she grew up sheltered but I mean it took her how long of living to Az to be all “I’m going to learn to cook” or to even discover the library??

Additionally, the pacing did feel a little inconsistent with the first 10 chapters being the same character and the plot not picking up until about 20-30%, slow build for a while, then love and spice and consistent flow starting around 65%. I felt the ending/cliffhanger was well placed— there was a good chunk of time between when they married to the end but with a majority of the chapters being from Asteria’s POV it lacked a sense of urgency or scope of how bad the situation was outside the estate. I personally would have loved an Az chapter of him finding out she left and having to go get her.

Overall, I did like this book and will be patiently waiting for the next one and hope we get a Gio/Franny story at some point too!

Ok. Why are the lead characters names so alike!?! This is my only issue with the story. I LOVE mafia romance, but the characters names drove me a but mad.

The story is an arranged marriage/mafia romance and is the first the series by Naya V. and it does end on a cliffhanger, so mind tg drop.

The story had a a very cool childhood background that gave way for a really good dynamic/tension between the main characters.

I'd recommend this book for individuals who love quick/fast-paced stories with tension, slow burn, and mafia drama. But dear god I wish there characters names were different.

“I’m not marrying him,” I blurt out, tone hard. “You don’t have a choice, princess.”

The start of this book was gripping and I was engrossed in Azriel & Asteria's story. They knew each other because Asteria's father was the head of the Cosa Nostra and Azriel's father was his consiglere. Az & Asteria loved each other in secret but something whisks them away from each other and as a result, Az and his father are pushed out from the organisation. While an unwanted marriage aliance is forced on Asteria and she's due to get married once she turns eighteen. Though things don't go as planned because her fiance is murdered on the wedding day. Fast forward four years later, Azriel has become the capo of another Outfit and is back in Asteria's life because her father arranged her marriage with him to save his rule. Asteria had always been caged and sheltered due to which she was naive and sometimes childish but that didn't annoy me until the very end of the book. I was so annoyed by her reckless behaviour and trusting nature. Azriel was grumpy, brooding and cruel but I liked to see him soften up for her. And while Asteria was soft, kind and sometimes sassy, I hope she develops some sort of self preservation instincts in the next book. This book ends in a cliffhanger and I must say, I wasn't very shocked by the twist. Still I'm looking forward to read the next book to see how Azriel & Asteria's story concludes.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review

That you NetGalley and Naya V for an ARC of this book.

You had me at Hades/Persephone retelling, Mafia romance, arranged marriage.

I have just recently gotten into dark romances, and this was such a good one. I do feel like the writing was a bit basic at times and was very predictable. I wasn't the biggest fan of Azriel because of how he treated Asteria. It was hard for me to picture him as the love interest for a while.

I went into this thinking it was a standalone... and was shocked to find out it was a series at the very end by that cliffhanger! Now I am needing the next book, to know what happens next.

I'm not huge on mafia romances but once I read the book description, I had to give this a go.
Asteria is set up for an arranged marriage by her father on her 18th Birthday to a powerful man in the Underworld - an ex-lover. The writing style the Author uses makes you feel the tension between the two.

This book as it all!
-Enemies to Lovers
-Arranged Marriage
-Hades and Persephone references
-different POVs
-the spice!
-cliffhanger, I love a book with a cliffhanger.
-world building with the Mob Scenes and the Underworld

With all these amazing things in this story (and more) this book shouldn't be passed up. I am eagerly waiting for the 2nd book to follow along with Asteria and Azriel. One can only hang on to so many secrets before they come spilling out.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Princess and the Devil is a dark and twisted Arranged Marriage Mafia Romance that will leave you breathless. From the very first page, author Naya V. draws you into the seedy underworld of Chicago's mob scene with her vivid and descriptive writing. You will be instantly captivated by the story of Azriel Costa, a man with a darkness in his eyes and a thirst for blood, as he sets out to destroy the family who ruined his life.

Naya V. expertly weaves a tale of love, loss, betrayal, and revenge that will keep you hooked until the very last page. The characters are well-developed and multi-dimensional, making it easy to empathize with their plights. The plot is fast-paced and action-packed, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. If you're looking for a dark and sexy read that will keep you entertained from beginning to end, then this is the book for you!

If you’re a fan of mafia romances, enemies to lovers, forced marriage, grumpy sunshine, hades and Persephone retellings, then this one is definitely for you. I’m a big fan of all of those, especially mafia romances and this one definitely can take my five stars. I was glued from the moment I started reading, and read it one sitting.

Astoria speaks what’s on her mind, is sassy, stubborn and lights up a whole room she’s so kind. She may be naive but she’s always been sheltered. I yelled “idiot” & got annoyed a few times at Azriel. But once I got past that, he’s amazing. I mean there’s one part in the book, where you’re just dreaming of it happening to you. (🦋) Their chemistry!!! Omg, out of this world!!! Even years apart, you can still feel their connection. The built up tension between the two characters was intense and sit on the edge of your seat type. There’s ton of drama, and some delicious spice!!

And Omg, that cliff hanger!!!! I need book #2 ASAP!!! 🫢😮 i really enjoyed this one, and I cannot wait to get back to these characters!!

Thank you, @netgalley, Naya V. Books and @authornayav for this amazing e-ARC, in exchange for my honest review.

I love Mafia Romance with Arranged Marriage so when i found this book, i was excited. The story follows with Asteria and Azriel falling in love with each other but her father found out and outcast Azriel and his father. Asteria was heartbroken when her father arranged for marriage. But her finace was killed a day before wedding. After four years, her father arranged marriage again to the powerful capo who turns out to be Azriel and she was shaken to meet him again but something was wholly different with him. He's cold blooded, expressionless and harsh. He confessed that he felt nothing when they were kids and he married her because he's taking everything back what he lost. Even if it hurts her. He's taking revenge on her father and she's the pawn. But Azriel has a secret trying to hide from her and about her mother's dead. He's also trying to protect her when enemies threathens him constantly. Finally, truth comes out but at what cost ?? It's ends in the cliffhanger so need to patiently wait for book 2.

The story was really good. The reason I'm giving 3 stars cause, it has Hades and Persephone retelling which I think the story doesn't need when it focus on revenge and secrets. The plot was nice and some actions and worth the wait smut after the second half of the story. I'd recommend it to those who love Arranged Marriage Mafia Romance with Hades and Persephone retelling.

I was super excited to get an ARC of this book because let's be real, Hades and Persephone retellings have me in a literal chokehold. Anyone who is obsessed with mafia arranged marriage romances, will have a field day with this book because it is jam packed with all the mafia tropes we love. Not only were all my favourite tropes in this book but it helps that this book cover is also discreet which means it'll be easy to carry around without any worries ;)

On a technical level, this book had it all and the character growth was definitely one I enjoyed reading about. Our FMC was a little childish though, and despite her actual growth into an adult, I found she continued to stay very young minded and her actions or words reflected that. Not to say she didn't grow nor can she continue to grow more, but within the space of this book she didn't grow as much as I hoped she might. Because there's a book two though, I can't wait to see her continue to grow in this mafia and arranged marriage realm, she has the potential to become a badass FMC.

The writing vibes were a hit and miss with the classic Chicago mafia vibes that were being portrayed in the book. I think it's easy to get sucked into what a mafia book "should sound like" when in reality as long as the plot is good and the characters are more than two dimensional, the writing style didn't bother me as much as I thought it would in the beginning.

Overall, I'm super pumped to read the sequel because their story feels far from over!

❤️‍🔥 The Perfect Enemies To Lovers Mafia Romance ❤️‍🔥

From the first chapter, I was hooked. Quickly I fell in love with the characters until my heart was wretched out of my body in only the first few chapters. The dual point of view was perfect. You get the best of both worlds. The first chapter from his point of view made my heart strain with anticipation. What was he thinking ? Why was he acting like this ? But , god did I eat up every word. This book made me go through a plethora of emotions. You really feel the longing and the betrayal and the hope that no matter what these two characters are it for eachother. It was them. It’s always been them. I loved this book and I absolutely can’t wait until the next one!

This book will make your heart race in every possible sense you could think of. It’s thrilling , romantic , and filled with spice.

The Princess and The Devil is exactly what you want in a steamy, mafia romance novel with all the spice. I thoroughly enjoyed the mafia angle and always love a good lover-enemy-lover situation. The Hades and Persephone references are a bit much throughout; however, they don't detract too much from the story. The book does end on a cliffhanger. With that said, I can't wait for the next book to come out, so that I can find out what happens to Asteria and Azriel. I'll be recommending The Princess and The Devil to anyone looking for a spicy romance to read.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Naya V for allowing me to read this ARC. I was definitely torn between giving this book two or three stars. I ultimately gave it three stars only because this book had me hooked until the very end. The book was a very well done hades and Persephone retelling. But, the book was extremely tropey, we had lovers to enemies to lovers, grumpy sunshine, and mafia romance. The book did what it was suppose to with these tropes;however, the plot wasn’t anything mind blowing. It is definitely one of those books that booktok will absolutely love; it is filled with quotes that will most likely will go viral if they were to be posted. Ultimately my biggest issue is that I felt like there was plot holes. There was a lack of explanation regarding Azriel and Asteria’s relationship fall out, it kindof just happened; yet, it seemed like a bunch of stuff happened behind closed doors. There were many other plot holes as well; I feel like it was mostly due to poor transitioning between main events in the book (I.e. people being shot or poisoned or kidnapped). I will definitely be reading the second book because that ENDING was a cliffhanger and I just have to know what happens to these starcrossed lovers.