3.75
"Distance" by Luna Mason is an intense and emotionally gripping romance that pulled me in from the first page. Mason’s writing is both immersive and evocative, creating a world that feels raw and real. The characters are complex and deeply layered, each with their own struggles and desires that make their journey compelling. The chemistry between the leads crackles with tension while also delivering heartfelt moments of vulnerability, I do wish we had more of those moments however, I think with more depth to the relationship then this would have been a four star read for me.
For fans of dark romance who like an easy read, then I would definitely give Distance a go. I am looking forward to delving into the rest of the series!

This was my first book by Luna Mason and I didn't love it but didn't hate it. I didn't really like how fast everything went with the couple I felt like it was too quick and scattered. It just seemed rushed at times. It seemed predictable a lot. The spice was great and the chemistry between the two were good and in all it was entertaining.

This is a mafia romance following a woman who falls in love with the hit man. I enjoyed reading this book. This has been on my TBR for a while and once I heard Kensington is publishing it, I wanted to wait. And how long I waited, I was not disappointed with the book. The story is well written with different conflicts throughout the story. I do have to say that the book did started getting focused on spice than plot. Which I usually don’t mind but I was enjoying the storyline a lot as it was a bit suspenseful with the ex drama. I also love how with the spicy and storyline, the author did an amazing job handling the FMC’s truama. This book is told from dual povs of both Keller and Sienna.

Sienna is the FMC of the story who has had many people walk out from her life. I enjoyed her character and seeing her develop. However, I do wonder if she still fears elevators as we never got to figure it out. Then we have Keller who is head over heals for Sienna. He’s rich, part of the mafia, and is a big time street fighter. I liked his character and seeing him become vulnerable for Sienna. They is a third act breakup but there romance is instant love and he falls first. I enjoyed their chemistry and seeing them work out. There are many side characters with my favorite being Maddie who is a friend everyone needs. I do have to say I wonder what happened to the guy friend.

The ending was well done and the new edition as an extended epilogue. I know many people didn’t enjoy this book because of grammatical errors, however that has changed as this book is at a traditional publisher. I wouldn’t check out those reviews about grammer because that could have been different from the indie publishing. Though if you are a fan of mafia romance with spice and fun, this is your book.

*this book was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

This book was interesting..I personally didn’t enjoy it . The writing wasn’t my favorite and the plot was inevitable, I guessed majority of it , the banter was okay but the nickname was cringey and the overall plot is over used . It was a quick read for me personally , but I don’t think I would purchase this book.

my first book by the author
heard wonders about luna mason writing
they did justice to their words
amazing writting amzing development

I really enjoyed this, it was such an entertaining read! Keller’s mouth had me swooning, and I loved his instant connection with Sienna. They tried to fight it, but staying away was never an option. It was so satisfying to see them overcome everything and finally get the happiness they deserved.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 (Rounded up)
# Pages: 304
Publication Date: 02.25.25

“Everyone wears a mask. You can never truly love all of someone unless you see beneath it.”

🥊 Dark Romance
🥊 Mafia
🥊 Boxing
🥊 Touch Her & Die
🥊 Dual POV
🥊 Hidden Identity
🥊 He Falls Hard
🥊 He Falls First

“Distance” by Luna Mason is my first book to read by her. I didn’t love it but I also didn’t hate it. It was just a like. I would have had it rated higher but it fell a little flat to me. There was some plot holes and questions that didn’t get answered. However, I do feel like the spice to plot ratio was great.

Overall, I enjoyed the character development and the insta love/ lust the main characters had for each other. All great concepts she had though! I will be continuing the series and want to see how her writing evolves. Also how the standalones interconnect. Definitely promise and I know this is a rerelease.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC

It's a good book and an easy read, I would recommend it for an intro for Luna Mason!

- Sports Romance - boxing
- Mafia
- Dual POVs
- Dark themes
- Spice
- Insta-lust/love with a wee bit of a slow burn vibe

3.75 stars. Sexy mafia-ish romance. Honestly you could take the whole mafia aspect out and label it a dark sports romance. I enjoyed it for the smutty sexy book it was. Some drama, and check your triggers.

An amazing dark romance book with insta chemistry. I usually don't love books like those, but was surprised by how much I did. This book had the perfect mix between spice and plot.

There were a lot of plot holes so I was confused for a bit, but was overall entertained enough to keep reading.

Distance is an intoxicating blend of twists and spice (sprinkled with a bit of violence) that keeps you breathless from start to finish. Just when you think you have the story figured out, Mason throws in a twist that shatters every expectation, pulling you deeper into the chaos. The tension between the characters is electric—every stolen touch, every heated moment laced with both danger and desire. The spice is deliciously intense, raw, and unapologetic, perfectly complementing the emotional rollercoaster. If you love dark, twisty romances that leave you wrecked in the best way, this one’s a must-read.

For some reason when I requested this book I thought it was a new series from Luna Mason before realizing I had already started reading this before and DNF’d it. However as I did end up reading the rest of the books In the series and really enjoying them I decided to give Distance another go.

It was okay but I just didn’t vibe with either of the MCs to the point that I found them both intensely irritating.

As I’ve said I did enjoy the rest of the series and look forward to anything new LM releases I just think this falls short.

When the masked mafia hitman is a total golden retriever for her + he’d burn the world for her >>>

I'm not a big fan of the insta-lust but it really worked for Kellar and Sienna! And she made him grovel when he deserved to.

This is the first book in the Beneath the Mask Series, and I'm excited to continue with it. I really enjoyed Luna Mason's writing style.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing | Kensington for the ARC of this title!

I love all things dark romance, and I absolutely loved this!
The dynamic between the two main characters and the growth both of them have gone through. She is newly single and is trying to find the joys in life again. He is a heavyweight champ who has a debt to pay to the mafia. There is suspense, there is spice, there is so much within this that I wish I could read it all over again for the first time!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the eARC

I received an eARC of this from NetGalley. I cannot say enough good things about this book! I stayed up 3 hours past my bedtime to finish it. This book made me smile, giggle...the sex scenes were FIRE but the love story in itself was more than I thought i would get! I love mafia romance mostly because I like the side stories, the actual mafia part but this all blended so well! I am already online ordering book 2. I don't know how this ended up on NetGalley as apparently it isn't new but man oh man i will be reading the whole series and anything else I see from this author!

Distance was my first ever read from Luna Mason and it’s my favorite book from beneath the mask series. Keller is just so mmmm lol my first book boyfriend crush 😍 I love a good touch her and ☠️ trope and this book was definitely it! Keller and Siennas chemistry was insane and amazing. This book had plot and plenty of drool worthy spice! 🌶️
Read the whole series! You’ll love it.

Review Title: A Fast-Paced Romance That Didn’t Fully Connect

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

Luna Mason’s Distance had an interesting premise, but the execution didn’t quite work for me. The story moved at such a fast pace that I struggled to connect with the characters and their relationship. There wasn’t enough time to fully develop their emotions, which made some of the conflicts and resolutions feel rushed rather than organic.

One major aspect that caught me off guard was the pregnancy trope. It wasn’t something I was expecting, and unfortunately, it’s not a trope I personally enjoy. While some readers may appreciate the added layer of drama and emotion, it didn’t enhance the story for me.

That being said, Mason’s writing is engaging, and I can see this book appealing to readers who enjoy whirlwind romances with intense emotions. It just wasn’t quite the right fit for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great start to the series of interconnected standalones. I loved the combination of a mafia and sports romance, and Keller was a great MMC. Sienna was very lovely and I enjoyed her wish to help others.

I loved the chemistry they had from the start, and how protective he got over her right away. Their horrible upbringing grew them closer, and they fit so well together 🤍

Fast burn, insta-love mafia romance with great spice and storyline.

I’ll start by saying that I love anything Luna writes!

Luna Mason’s Distance is a spicy, suspenseful read that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Keller is the perfect mix of dangerous and devoted, and his obsession with Sienna makes for some seriously intense moments. The chemistry is off the charts, the tension is high, and the story has just the right balance of romance and action. If you love possessive, morally gray heroes and a heroine who finds her strength, this one’s for you!

I’ve seen a lot of Lunas work on bookstagram and have always really wanted to read them and thought this was the perfect excuse to introduce myself to her work. I’m not usually a mafia romance girl but this definitely piqued my interest.

From what I managed to read of the book I enjoyed the story, the plot seemed gripping and the chemistry and spice between the 2 MCs was really enjoyable and kept me wanting more.

However, the formatting and layout in this arc copy was not good at all, the first page of every chapter was a light grey coloured font and I really struggled to read, then that coupled with other formatting/layout issues made me really struggle to get into the story the way I would have liked. I will definitely be going back to read again once it has been released on kindle though!