‘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

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Loved loved this book!! I have it on paperback and audio now gosh, everyone needs to read this!


LUNA can do no wrong! I loved this book so much!
This should be at the top of your TBR if you haven’t read it yet!!
KELLER IS DEFINITELY AT THE TOP OF THE BOOK BOYFRIENDS
This may be for you if you enjoy:
dark romance
Sports
Mafia

Thank you to Luna and hambright pr for this ARC

Luna never fails in amazing me with her books. This was no different (I have read them out of order, and had no issue) highly recommend picking this up. The plot, the spice, the characters & their growth. I loved it!

What a fun, fast paced and SPICY mafia romance!!! This has been on my radar/tbr for forever… when I learned it was getting traditionally published, I immediately became even more intrigued. I thought this was a good time dark romance. Was it life changing??? Hmmm no. However, I blew through this one once I got into it (took me about 70 pages) and after that point I couldn’t stop reading. This story was very addictive🤭

This was a good story for me to read. The plot kept me reading and the spice made me blush. I feel that i did not want to stop reading it.

"It's right there in ink. I belong to you. forever. be angry all you want, even better.....how about you ride me like you hate me, then I'll f**k you like I love you. how does that sound?"

listen....
the way this man has me foaming at the damn mouth and barking at my kindle.
Keller mf Russo. lord.
this man had me in a chokehold and would not let go until I turned the final page.
while mafia is not my normal go too, I loved this. The plot was good. the spice was so so good.
I found it to be a fast paced read. read your trigger warnings. and enjoy.

The book had potential but I just couldn’t finish it , I kept coming back because I really wanted to finish it .
I found the character a little bit annoying

✨ BOOK REVIEW✨

Distance by Luna Mason
Release Date: Already Published


TROPES:
🖤 Dark Romance
♥️ M@fia Vibes
🖤 Fighter MMC (Boxing)
♥️ Surprise Tattoos
🖤 Good Girl Praise
♥️ Fast Burn
🖤 Touch Her & D1e

Thank you to Hambright & Luna Mason for the ARC!

This was a 4⭐️ read for me! I enjoyed reading this book! The MMC for sure gave touch her & 💀vibes! We love a MMC with a filthy mouth. I couldn’t get enough of it ! It was all you could ask for in a dark mafia romance ! 🖤♥️

#bookishengagement #bookishreels #bookishreel #bookishreelsofinstagram #readersofinstagram #momswhoread #relatable #bookcommunity #bookishfeatures #book #booklover #darkromance #darkromancereaders #romance #romance#reading #books #booksta #bookstagram #booktok

🚨🚨 Someone call 911 because Distance from Luna Mason just set my soul ON FIRE 🔥🖤

We open with Sienna walking in on her trash fiancé mid-cheat and I was SCREAMING 😱📢 Like, sis, you deserve better and THANK GOD she walked away ✨👑 (no second chances for clowns 🤡).

But y’all... the secrets that unfold??? The way her ex REFUSES to let go??? It’s giving obsession in the creepiest way and had me clutching my Kindle like 😳📱. When the truth came out, my jaw was on the literal floor 🫨.

And then... KELLER — massive, tattooed, mafia enforcer and FAMOUS BOXER 😮‍💨💀💘. The way he immediately protects Sienna??? Dead. I’m dead. Bury me next to this book because no one is topping him.

And don't even get me started on the SPICE 🥵🔥 — it hits EARLY and it hits HARD.

Honestly, this book had everything — danger, steam, romance, mafia drama — and even though it could’ve been a tiny bit shorter, I devoured it like my life depended on it 🖤📖.

@LunaMason if you see this — your brain needs to be protected at all costs 🛡️✨ thank you for giving us Keller and Sienna — can’t WAIT to inhale the next one 🖤🖤🖤

#DistanceFromLunaMason #Artor #MafiaRomance #SpicyBooks #BookTokRecs #BookishChaos

Absolutely loved the writing style

Keller and Siennas story is one to fight for.

The danger and banter in this story draws you in