Dark mafia romance that gave us a whole heap of action and thrill, whilst still having an addictive romantic plot!

I loved the balance between Molly and Ashton. They were very much opposites but still found so much common ground. Molly is a sweet and funny sunshine character, and Ashton is a dark protective man who has a razor sharp edge of danger.

Tijan does a great job of having enough of the mafia politics and drama to keep the plot suspenseful and thrilling, whilst still focusing on the romance between the main characters.

Loved it!

LOVED every word! I want Ashton Walden to claim me AND to be best friends with Molly! If you've read any of my reviews you know I adore all books by Tijan, she honestly excels in all genres and I am a HUGE fan! I love dark romance and A Cruel Arrangement is definitely in my Top 5 favorites of all time!

I was so hesitant to love Ashton in the beginning due to events that happened in book 1, but he quickly redeemed himself and swept me off my feet. Loving Molly caught him off guard and the way he was so protective of her was beautiful.

"You run and I'll burn the world down for you."

Molly also caught my attention in book 1, but the way she grew and found herself in this book was so amazing. I loved watching her grow and learn to trust others with her heart.

"Beautiful. Stunning. Powerful. All words described her. She was mine. I wasn't letting her go."

The path to love wasn't easy for these two but it was special. They found their person and once they both realized it it was breathtaking.

As always Tijan delivers all the angst and excitement that we love, while also making us fall in love. Her storylines always pull me in and leave me begging for more! I can't wait for more of the Kings of New York! Tijan never disappoints and is always a must read.

A Cruel Arrangement was a good read. It was action packed. It was sexy. There was a sweetness to it as well. It was drama filled with a heavy dose of suspense. There were also twists and turns. I enjoyed it and definitely recommend it.

I was excited to get this book. I never have read this author before. I wanted to enjoy this book but it was lackluster for me. It took a while to get started and didn’t even start to get interesting until at least half way. I didn’t enjoy this writing or this book. I’d give the author a second chance though.

This sequel did NOT disappoint! When I first received the ARC for this book (thank you NetGalley!), I was not aware that it was part of a series. So, naturally, I found it on Kindle Unlimited and read it within a couple of days - I could NOT put it down! The first story ends on a cliffhanger and this one picks up exactly where the first one ends off just with different characters. I feel that reading the first book in the series (A Dirty Business) will help to put all the characters/character relationships together and to know the background of the plot. This book picks up about 3 months after the ending of A Dirty Business and focuses on the investigation of who killed Justin and Kelly. This book (as with the first) is told in dual point of view from Ashton and Molly, who we got to know in the first book. Ashton - head of Weston Mafia, and Molly - owner of Easter Lanes, a bowling alley she bought from her father who was tied in with Ashton's family.

As in the first book, the couple's chemistry is intense. I loved Ashton and Molly and felt that were a great match for one another. Both had dark sides that messed well with each one's loveable side. I love mafia romance, usually of the darker variety, but this did not disappoint. There was action, intrigue, and suspense. But what I found really enjoyable was the family and friendship that this book portrayed. There were steamy/spicy scenes that were very enjoyable and placed in the most perfect parts. I wanted Molly and Ashton to be together from the beginning, but indulged in the fact that it was a slow burn in a forced proximity setting that made us wait for their relationship to take flight. The love they had for each other was almost inevitable and you knew that were a great match from the beginning, they just equaled each other so much that you just wanted to keep turning the pages to know what else would happen. In no point in this book did Ashton make Molly feel as if she were less than him, with I appreciated as in some mafia books this is how the FMC is stressed.

I was surprised at the ending of who we find out was behind the Justin and Kelly murders. It was not who I was expecting at all, which was intriguing and made me like this book even more.

If you like:
-mafia romance
-slow burn
-forced proximity
-spice
-"touch her and you die"

Then you will want to read this one/series!

One of my favorite quotes: “I’m not your knight.” I swallowed over a lump. “No, you’re not. You’re the bad guy.”

I voluntarily read and received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is my first book by Tijan and the ven though it would seem weird and like I'm lacking information by not reading the first one it hasn't been the case. Most of the information I needed about characters and situations were presented just fine. Though I will still read the first one.

To be honest at first I didn't think I would like Ashton but I changed my mind and I can happily say he has become a favourite. He is strong, protective, straightforward about things even if they hurt him and honest and I do love that honesty. He didn't feel like he should hide things to protect Molly but instead he talked to her and told the truth.

Molly I liked almost instantly and consistently. She was also funny and protective though acting too fast and too silly for her own good. I can relate.

In conclusion I did love the book, it had lots of action, funny moments and the right amount of spice.

Last but mot least as with any Mafia book make sure to check the TW .

I want to thank NetGalley, Tijan and Montlake for providing me this book for an honest review.

Book: A Cruel Arrangement by Tijan
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trope: Romantic suspense, Mafia romance
Publication: 25th April 2023

The second book of the King of New York series.
After reading Trace and Jess’s book I was excited for the next novel in this series, even though I thought it would be their story but this book revolves around Ashton and Molly.
Molly has been estranged from her father who is under a mountain of debt and Molly is taken in exchange for it. The chemistry between both characters was smoking and the banter kept this book alive. We get to meet Trace and Jess again in this novel and the plot development between the characters was amazing. Molly was no pushover and I loved how she stood her ground and to see both Ashton and her grow and build this relationship was incredible.

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC copy.

This is book two in the Kings of New York series but I easily followed the storyline even though I haven’t read book one… although I’m definitely going to do that now.

With this book you get the kind of mafia read that delivers everything the reader wants with great characters, a dash of action and enough explosive chemistry to melt your kindle.

I enjoyed how protective (& somewhat overbearing) Ashton was with Molly. Their romance wasn’t an easy one but I’m definitely team #Mashton ❤️

Another great book by Tijan! I'm constantly surprised(thought I really shouldn't be) how Tijan manages to tackle a variety of different tropes within the Romance genre with such eloquence and is able to hook readers into immersive stories with characters you care about and want to read. I loved the Mafia elements of this story and am so excited to see what is next!

An excellent book two of Kings of New York and while the first book may have ended on a cliffhanger with Jess and Trace, Tijan dives right into Molly and Ashton’s story, by the end of the book the answer to all my questions about what might happen are answered. And what a love story our author has written. Tijan is able to weave her own style of mystery and romance into words that leave you breathless. An absolute masterpiece.

This was such a great follow up to "A Dirty Business" Molly was such a wonderful character to read (she kind of reminded me of Cheyenne from "The Not-Outcast") and I really enjoyed reading more about Ashton and figuring out what made him tick.

The driving force of this book was the mystery of Justin and Kelly having been killed and Ashton trying to figure it out, but having Molly reach out to people for him. As this is happening there's the overall threat of a mafia war that's brewing in the city. But of course Ashton and Molly also have a bit of shared history from their childhood binding them together, making it hard for Ashton to let go of the wrongs committed on Molly's behalf. I loved that both of their pasts shaped them in ways that surprised the other, like Ashton was accepting of Molly's flight response, but also telling her that she needed to start sticking around so that they could talk things out. Molly thinking that she was the sealant for the group dynamic of Jess, Trace, Ashton and her and Ashton accepting what she was saying was fact. I am so glad that there was a redemptive moment for what he did to Jess in "A Dirty Business" and it was brought about because Molly helped to force the issue.

All in all a really great book and I can't wait to see if there's another book in this series about Jake Worthing.

This is the second book in the Kings of New York series and I couldn't wait to read it. The first part ended in a sudden and unexpected way, and in the second part I was looking for answers. The story is based on Molly and Ashton and the fact that Molly was part of the tragedy that happened in the previous part.. Her and Ashton's story is dynamic, intense and full of unexpected situations.
I like the connection that the main characters of this story have, I like the brotherly relationship between Trace and Ashton. I don't like Mollys selfish and manipulative father who doesn't choose any means to reach his goal, even at the cost of affecting his family's life.And finally, the book is excellent and has all the recommendations from me.

Thank you NettGalley, the publisher and Tijan for this opportunity, I enjoyed it.

I loved the couple in this book - I was a bit iffy right when they were introduced but they grew on me. I would like for the plot to be a little more formed out but the characters gave it a little grace in that aspect.

The main characters Molly and Ashton were introduced in the first book so it was interesting to see their love story progress in this one. We also got to see more of Jess and Trace (the couple from previous book) which was an added bonus! This book also answered a number of questions left unanswered in book 1. This was an action-packed, engaging story with lots of twists and turns. I definitely did not see the end coming.

However, I would have liked to see more of them as a couple to show how their relationship developed.

I didn't love this book, but it did hold my interest.

This book was a bit slow for me. While the premise was good, the story lacked the execution.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC

I loved Tijan! I read anything she puts out and without disappointment. One of my favorite tropes is Mafia! Always spicy with an edge of thrill!

I was expecting A Cruel Arrangement to be a continuation of Jess and Trace's story with the way the first book in the Kings of New York A Dirty Business ended. In a way, it was a continuation but it focuses on Molly and Ashton. The ending of the previous book shocked me so I was looking forward to seeing how things would develop in this book. The relationship between Molly and Ashton was pretty explosive, and I enjoyed their banter a lot. Molly is a strong woman who has a mind of her own, and didn't let Ashton bully her around. I was intrigued by Ashton from the moment I met him and I loved how protective he was of Molly and his family/friends.

We also get to see what Jess and Trace are up to. I was looking forward to seeing how Jess would handle Ashton after what he did in the first book. We also get to see the friendship between Trace and Ashton grow stronger, and the same goes for Milly and Jess. This book was overall a pretty good romantic suspense novel. The balance between action and romance was great, there were also some lighter moments that added relief from the grief and suspense. All of the characters were great and I hope to get to see more of them.

4/5
Tijan never disappoints. I've been a fan of her books since fallen crest high and when she announced a cruel arrangement i was sold the moment i read the blurb.
In true tijahn fashion this book is a serve. The plot, the main couple, the side characters, the writing... everything is perfect from beginning to end. I have to say the hero might be one of my faves by her and the tension and the chemistry is inmaculate.
I think at this point i'll ready anything by this author because she's fantastic.
Thank you so much for providing me with an ARC of this book. All of the opinions are my own.

Cruel Arrangement is the cataclysmic ending to this action packed romance!

I definitely did not expect what happened! When everything fell into place I screamed so loud I woke my kids! Ashton and Molly both have had to fight and claw for their HEA! It was not an easy one but it was all worth it in the end!

Ashton is a man who knows what wants and will not take no, especially when it comes to Molly! He takes no chances and together they are unstoppable! I loved this high action, angsty romance!

I highly enjoyed and greatly recommend this intense read from Tijan. There are so many twists and turns which keep you guessing until the very end. Loved the characters and their story.