Book: Distance (Beneath The Mask Book 1)
Author: Luna Mason
Publisher: Kensington (Paperback)
Publication Date: February 25, 2025
Page Count: 304 pages
Genre: Dark Mafia Romance / Romantic Suspense
Spice Rating: 4 out of 5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ — Heavy, especially in the back half
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐

“This isn’t just spice and violence—it’s an emotional uppercut.”

I went into Distance expecting dark romance, a little bloodshed, a little brooding, and a whole lot of boxing biceps—and on that front? Luna Mason did not disappoint. This is mafia meets fight club, with a side of emotional trauma and a main course of “you’re mine now, baby girl” vibes.

Our FMC, Sienna, is trying to piece her life back together after a seriously messed-up breakup, only to get tangled up in the world of Keller—an inked-up, emotionally scarred boxer with ties to the mafia. Their chemistry? Immediate. Undeniable. And hot enough to melt steel.

The plot has legs—it genuinely does. I was invested in the mystery, the tension, the found-family moments with Keller’s crew. But let’s address the sequined elephant in the room: the spice. It starts off fast, and then ramps all the way up to “ma’am, this is a Wendy’s 😳” level in the last quarter. Not that I mind a little heat—I live in Louisiana, after all—but I found myself wanting a bit more plot in between the, uh, cardio sessions. The pacing lost some of its punch there.

Also, shoutout to the unhinged ex-boyfriend for coming in hot with Lifetime movie energy and no real thorough explanation. I love me a good villain arc, but I need it to make sense. His obsession felt more like a plot device than a fully fleshed-out threat, and I wish we’d gotten a little more context to understand the madness.

All that said, Luna Mason has a voice, and it’s confident. The emotional beats landed, the chemistry worked, and despite a few over-the-top moments, I enjoyed the ride.

*This one’s for you if you like:
*Tattoos and trauma
*Possessive MMC’s who throw punches and emotional walls
*Spicy scenes that don’t believe in “less is more

Will I read the next one? Yep. I’ve got questions, and I’m hooked enough to want the answers.

Just… maybe with a glass of sweet tea and a fan nearby.

“I need you like I need air to breathe. Without you, my life’s meaningless." like are you joking. I love this man. I was looking for a boxing romance book after reading a boxing wattled story and Distance was perfect. I am really looking forward to the next book.

I really love luna masons books, and i think i have read them all :D I loved this story so much that i will purchace this book to my trophy shelv too :P

This was one of my first mafia reads and the suspense, the spice and the passion were all just 🔥. I was just hooked and loved that Keller was that perfect morally grey man that makes you just instantly fall for him.

Really enjoyed the insta-obsession between the MMC and FMC. Also, pretty much using his d*ck as a joystick within moments of meeting was top notch.

“ What if she’s the one to pull you out of the darkness and into the light?”

Where are you Mafia romance girlies? We’ve got Mafia and boxing combined in one book 🫠

Keller may be feared by all he encounters whether in the ring or working his extracurricular Mafia duties at night, but this man is a sucker when it comes to Sienna. You can’t help but love a bad boy who is overly possessive of his girl. The high stakes, the spice, the chemistryyy. This was a wild ride definitely worth taking.

This was such a great mafia read! It had everything in it, the suspense, the SPICE, & the violence! Keller & Sienna are a perfect match, I was rooting for them the whole way. So many parts had me laughing but also screaming. I wish I got to see Sienna’s mom’s face (IYKYK) also can I please get more of Enzo ?? Cause YUM!

This is the first in the 'Under the Mask' Series - Which I have read in its entirety and as a series, it is beautiful.
This story gives me mixed feelings, however.

Keller is a Boxer who is tied to a mafia family, where he uses his skills to be the family's enforcer. We meet him as he is close to being done with his ties to the family and is getting things set up for his legitimate life. He has a one-track mind to achieve that, but he meets Sienna, and he adds his obsession with her to that.

Sienna is similarly attempting to have a life of her own, free from her ex, who can't seem to let her go. It's instant lust for them both.

Their relationship is a little too insta-lust for me, and I am all for the insta-love stories. It might have been all the nicknames or how much sex clouded things rather than adding to it (The spice is giving, though). It also could just simply be me.

I do, however, love the mafia family plot that is going on here. The suspense is what kept me around and got me to gobble the series up but I am a sucker for these organized crime stories though.

Let me say I love fighter romances and I love mafia romances. This one was BOTH, and it was amazing! I loved both of the MCs, even though at times they had a hard time getting out of their own way to their HEA. I love a growly, alpha leading man, and a sassy, sweet leading female. The side characters leave you wanting their stories, and the plot keeps you turning pages. Excellent read!

Ooh… this is my first read by this author and she penned a spicy dark romance that had me hooked. The mmc had some crazy bde. While this story was long and a tad predictable I still found it entertaining. I really liked the mmc… what’s not to like especially from a hot, alpha boxer that is also a mafia enforcer? He was deliciously sexy. I didn’t mind the fmc but couldn’t connect to her although the chemistry between the pair was scorching which kept me invested. I look forward to the next book in the series.

‘Distance’ had a premise I was really excited about! A mafia romance with a sports twist is right up my alley. I enjoyed the author’s writing style — it flowed well and kept the pace moving. Unfortunately, I ended up DNFing at 65%. While I love dark romance and all the tropes this book promised, the insta-lust connection between the characters made it hard for me to really connect with them or believe in their relationship. I also found the plot lacking depth and too predictable to hold my attention. That said, readers who are here for high heat and fast attraction might still enjoy it more than I did.

⭐ ⭐ | 🌶️🌶️🌶️ | ARC

Great premise—mafia ties meet championship boxing—but the delivery swings wide of the target. Keller and Sienna lock eyes and declare forever in record time, leaving zero slow‑burn tension to savor. Dialogue leans into Insta‑teen (“tiny‑waist queen” pulled me right out), and scene jumps feel like missing chapters. Three‑Chilly spice rating brings heat, yet without stronger character layering it lands as filler, not payoff. Potential in the grit; execution needs heavier edits and a longer training montage.

Rating: 3.5 stars
Distance is a strong start to the Beneath the Mask series, and I really liked the mix of dark mafia romance with the underground boxing world—it’s such a fun, gritty backdrop. Keller is definitely the standout for me: a former underground fighter turned world champ who’s still tangled up in mafia ties. His backstory is layered and gives a lot of depth to his choices and struggles, and I loved how torn he felt between wanting out of that world and still being pulled back in. Sienna is bold and brings a fresh spark to the story with her independence and charm, and their chemistry is undeniable—plenty of steam and emotional tension to keep you invested.

That said, the pacing felt a little uneven in spots, especially in the middle where I wanted things to pick up. I also found myself wishing for a bit more development in Keller and Sienna’s relationship—there were so many great moments that I wanted to sit with a little longer or dig into more deeply. The dual POV was a great touch and helped bring both characters’ perspectives to life, and the writing itself kept me turning pages.

Overall, this was a fun and engaging read that hit a lot of my favorite dark romance beats. If you love a broody, damaged hero, mafia ties, and high-stakes tension, this will definitely scratch that itch. It didn’t totally blow me away, but it left me curious and ready to see where the series goes next!

This book may not be a master piece but what I will say is that it was perfect for me because I was falling into a reading slump. This book is all Indra-love, Dark Romance, Mafia and pure smut and if that’s what you’re into, then you’re definitely going to love this book! What made the book even funnier is the description of the FMC & MMC. The FMC, having big titties and ass, short, petite, small waist whereas the MMC is damn near 7 feet tall with 11 inches 😭😂

Distance
Luna Mason
3.5⭐️
5🌶️

✔️Boxer
✔️Nightclub owner
✔️OBSESSIVE MMC
✔️Mafia

When the truth is unmasked, could she still love me?
Would love be enough to battle our demons and come out on top?

•───⋅☾☽⋅───•──•───⋅☾☽⋅───•
It’s very rare that I will fall in love with the FMC straight away - but Luna Mason did it! Sienna had this whole vibe about her! Heartbroken but still pulled herself out of the dumps and went on a night out! And boy, did she have fun 👀

Keller, Keller, Keller! Ugh 🥵 I need a man like Keller, he’s everything. He’s broody, he’s dark he’s a knight in shining armour - in his own way though 😂

I loved how these two interconnected with each other, they really were chalk and cheese but together the chemistry was on fire. I loved the Mafia story line too, this gave the whole story a back setting and you understand more about Keller and his troubles. P.s Jamie can go die on a hill 😌

The ending was amazing, it was such a HAE with also an added bonus 👶🏻.
The spice was spicing! This is a very spicy book 60/40 spice to plot.

I don't think I would classify this as a "dark romance" but if you haven't read a romance on the darkER side then this would be a good place to start.
You have a mix of mafia X sports romance and a couple of MC's with traumatic pasts and it's very sweet when they are able to find peace in each other. I am a fan of insta-lust in romance novels and if you are too you will LOVE this book.
I mean give me a big bad morally grey MMC who's a gooey cinnamon roll only for HER and I'm sold.

Thank you Luna Mason for the gifted copy

This could have been something, but it just wasn't. The beginning was amazing and well paced, but then the story just drifted along falling flat. As a reader of many romance and mafia-type books, this didn't hold up to what is out on the market right now.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2.5 stars)

I was genuinely excited to dive into Luna Mason's "Distance," especially given its intriguing premise of dark mafia romance blended with the world of elite boxing. Unfortunately, the book turned out to be a letdown for me.

One of the main issues was that the plot felt overly predictable and leaned heavily on clichés without offering any fresh or unexpected twists. The dialogue often felt unnatural and awkward, frequently crossing into cringeworthy territory, which significantly impacted my overall enjoyment of the story.

While it appears the book has undergone substantial editing since its initial indie publication, improving some writing mechanics, there were still persistent problems with the cadence and syntax that made the reading experience feel uneven. I also found myself confused by the title—"Distance"—which didn't seem to hold any real connection or significance to the narrative.

Another sticking point was the insufficient explanation regarding Keller's involvement with the mafia. His supposed entrapment was presented as a critical conflict, yet resolved abruptly and unsatisfyingly toward the end, raising the question of why it was a focal point at all.

Though the romantic and spicy scenes were competently executed, they overshadowed meaningful character development and a coherent storyline. Keller and Sienna's backstories were tragic yet superficial, feeling more like superficial additions rather than genuine attempts at deepening their characters.

Overall, "Distance" felt like a missed opportunity. It's frustrating that a book seemingly gained traction through TikTok hype and consequently traditional publishing support, especially when there are numerous indie romances with far stronger writing and storytelling waiting for similar recognition. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this one as strongly as I had hoped.

I received an ARC from Kensington Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this ARC! I absolutely loved this book. I will definitely be continuing this series. This is my first book written by Luna, and it won't be my last! I will definitely recommend for my mafia loving audience ❤️

This was soooo good! He was down bad for her and I am here for it. I wish I could read their love story for the first time all over again