LISTEN. Luna Mason snatched my attention in the prologue and said, “Hope you like emotional damage, babe.” AND I DID. I was pausing the audiobook, jaw on the floor, whisper-screaming “HOW DARE YOU” like a woman possessed. Poor Grayson—my angsty, emotionally constipated, murdery little marshmallow. I wanted to wrap him in a blanket and then immediately watch him break someone's nose in an alley.

And then there's MADDIE. My take-no-prisoners, kiss-no-frogs FMC who walked into Grayson’s dark little lair and said, “Hi, I’m your problem now.” ICONIC. The chemistry between them?? Unholy. The sexual tension?? Criminal. The spice?? Five alarm fire. I was clutching my headphones like they were rosary beads.

Every time Grayson called her “Sunshine” I went feral. Fully unwell. Bitterly melted into a pile of regret and yearning. He went from “I don’t kiss” to “I’ll burn the world for you” in record time and I was EATING. IT. UP.

And shoutout to narrators Maxine Mitchell and Robert Hatchet for dragging me even deeper into this delicious madness. Their voices? Top-tier. The delivery? Flawless. I was living in that audiobook like it paid rent.

Detonate is gritty, messy, emotional, and hot enough to blow a fuse. I laughed, I swooned, I spiraled. 10/10 would fall for the mafia hitman again.

I’ve been waiting for Maddie and Grayson’s story since Distance (which I absolutely loved). This book didn’t quite hit all the right spots for me but still was an enjoyable read.
I loved Grayson as the MMC. He’s charming and delightfully morally grey. He was fighting his attraction to Maddie but once he fell, he was all in.
Maddie drove me nuts with her insistence on pandering to her mother’s wants. It didn’t fit with her persona of a strong, independent woman.
I was expecting a stronger storyline for this one and it’s more spice than plot.
I still enjoyed this book but can’t help but want more.

Maddie and Grayson ❤️‍🔥 I love this interconnected series. Distance still being my favorite though.
You go on a whirlwind of lust, spice and bloody encounters. If murder is not your thing, this book isn’t for you.
If you adore mafia romances, especially with touch her and die vibes – don’t miss out on this! Excited to get into the next story 💜

I went into this book so excited thinking I’m gna find my new fav read but it did not go the way I expected 😭

The writing was so poor I found it hard to read without cringing badly. Not only was the inner monologue insufferable but the dialogue felt robotic and fake. There was no emotion??

It’s marketed as a standalone but actually relies heavily on the first book, which I didn’t read, to build the foundation of the story.

I couldn’t connect with the characters and their motivations at all.

I’m so upset because I truly did want to enjoy this ☹️💔

ೃ⁀➷ Thank you NetGalley and Hambright PR for the ARC! ♥︎

Detonate by Luna Mason is a hot ride from start to finish. If you’re looking for a book that brings the heat and doesn’t let up, this is the one for you. Still spilling over from book 1, the tension between Grayson and Maddie is off the charts.

Grayson, with his broody, mafia hitman vibes, and Maddie, the fiery, sassy sunshine, are the perfect storm. What starts as bickering and a bit of dislike quickly turns into something much hotter. And once these two finally give in, the spice in this book will have you fanning yourself. Every encounter is steamy, and each scene gets more intense than the last.

Whether it’s their playful banter, their emotional connection, or the spicy scenes that will have you changing your panties, Detonate delivers on every level. If you love suspenseful romance with plenty of spice, this book is hot!

Detonate was definitely a good romance/thriller novel. It is book 2 in the beneath the mask series.

I audio booked the first book and it was so good, so I knew as soon as I seen this on here, that I wanted to read it. Luna is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. The tension along with the amount of spice she puts into her books, has me hooked! Grayson and Maddie story was so good.

I will say that the book itself was a bit confusing to read, I downloaded to a few times and for some reason…it just didn’t sync up right with my kindle…which in turn is why it took me a little longer to read it.

Thanks so much

I’m continuing with Luna Mason’s Beneath the Mason series with Book 2, where we follow Grayson and Maddie. Readers were introduced to them in Book 1, Distance, and the way we got a sneak peak at the end, there was no doubt Book 2 would be steamy.

Grayson may be involved with the boxing gym, but he is not someone you want to mess with due to his background in the special forces and nighttime job in the mafia. But in the romance department, he’s been hurt and makes it known that it won’t happen again to him. He doesn’t kiss. He doesn’t date. And he is a one-and-done kind of guy. But Maddie changes everything.

I loved Maddie. She couldn’t give a flying fig about any of his nonsense. And that made Grayson feel that pull towards her even more. I like that there was a fair amount of time spent on their romance building in addition to the mafia action plot. I also liked how Luna introduced the characters for Book 3, hooking my interest enough for me to jump right in. Devoted, here I come!

this one is better than the 1st one but still not as good as I had hoped I couldn't get into the couple and their chemistry felt off

Liked how they started off hating each other and then slowly turned to them loving each other. Enemies to lovers tropes are one of my favorites!

I love Luna and currently reading this now I know it’s going to be amazing! This is book 2 in the series

This was so bad I would give it a zero. But I can’t so I’ll give it a 1. Bad writing paired with juvenile characters, repetitive situations, and extremely cliched.

Devoured this book and couldn't get enough of Grayson and Maddie! The tension between these two is so thick and I love their banter! I love reading anything that Luna writes, and this was no exception! While this is the 2nd book in the Beneath the Mask series, it can be read as a standalone - although I do recommend reading Distance first!

What to expect:
-Mafia
-Age gap
-Ex-military
-Morally grey MMC
-Possessive MMC
-Touch her & die

Thank you to Luna Mason, Kensington Books, Hambright PR, and Netgalley for letting me read/review an ARC of this book!

I’m in love with this book, quite frankly this world from Luna Mason!
This is Maddie and Grayson’s story and I love that we got more background on Grayson and why he is how he is, it’s emotional but like with all the best romances he’ll burn the world down for her!

“True, nothing like a good kidnapping to bring a couple together.”

It starts a little rocky with their “I hate you” but it’s not really hate, until they finally give in and eventually just stop resisting and fighting their feelings for each other. That doesn’t mean their baggage doesn’t make an appearance or two still, but it’s such a page turner!

“You aren’t my villain. You are my everything. I love your darkness. But I also love your light. I love every single part of you.”

There’s so much that u want to say about this book but I don’t want to spoil it more than I have but just know if you love dark romance, a man who is emotionally unavailable until he finds HIS woman, and a page turner that you won’t put down this is definitely for you!!

DETONATE: A Dark Mafia Romance by Luna Mason https://bit.ly/4l32TNy
Publication Date: 05/27/2025
Genre: Contemporary Mafia Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Cori
Rated 4 Stars

This was a hot enemies to lovers that kept me up all night. I love a good villain MMC and I fell in love with Grayson. I really enjoyed Maddie’s character as well. DETONATE had a good plot with several subplots going on. It had some action with lots of steamy romance. If you like a good mafia romance this is the book and series to pick up. I really enjoyed it and look forward to the next book.

*Review copy provided by Kensington in exchange for an honest review.

Kindle https://amzn.to/4kACy9J
Paperback https://amzn.to/4dX84MF

This book served up exactly what I crave: a sunshine heroine paired with a grumpy mafia hitman. It was a spicy, suspenseful read, keeping me hooked from start to finish. The dynamic between the sweet, feisty heroine and the dark, anti-love hero was instantly magnetic, fueled by delicious banter. Their fight against undeniable attraction was captivating, but what I truly adored was the shift from seductive tension to all-consuming obsession. Grayson's possessive love for Maddie was palpable. He dedicated every fiber of his being to her once he surrendered. It was empowering to see Maddie embrace his darkness and forge a relationship that was genuine, rather than what others expected. While some subplots felt a bit rushed and the sports element was minimal, this was undeniably a fun and satisfying read.

Thank you, Luna Mason & Hambright PR, for this ARC of Detonate! (Book 2 in Beneath the Mask)

This book was amazing, and I have to assume the other 3 books in the series are just as great! I think this is the first dark mafia romance I've read, and I am a fan!

I loved the initial slow burn between Grayson and Maddie. This turned into a very 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 spicy and fun book with a great plot.

Maddie is a very strong woman, and Grayson has a lot of strength from past traumas. Together, they are a force to be reckoned with!

I highly recommend this if you're into dark mafia romance or if you want to try out this subgenre.

Detonate is available on Kindle/Kindle Unlimited, Amazon paperback, and Audible. I've already ordered the audiobook 🎧 😁

Detonate is book two in the Beneath the Mask series. Detonate is Grayson and Maddie’s story.

They hate each other, have for a year. They love working each other up and taunting each other. But secretly they crave the other but never think it can happen. Grayson is a hitman for the mafia with a dangerous job and a traumatic past. Maddie is under her mother’s thumb to find the perfect man.

I do love seeing Grayson coming undone after so long of being hurt and trying to get past his trauma. His feelings hit him hard and fast. I love seeing a man who falls first and hard.

I feel like Detonate could’ve used more descriptive scenes and backstory on how Grayson operated within the mafia. His character needed to be built up more. I also felt the feud between the falconers and Luca was just briefly part of the book and all we saw was some injuries.

What’s the deal with Frankie? Why do I feel so half in, half out with that guy. I’m undecided. Hopefully his story comes out.

The spice is definitely there as Luna never disappoints in that area.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Detonate by Luna Mason is sports/dark mafia romance that follows Grayson and Maddie. Grayson is emotionally guarded, former military, and was portrayed by people he trusted the most in life. He is a boxing trainer, and mafia hitman. The only place for women in his world is for a physical release, nothing more. No strings whatsoever. Maddie is a disappointment to her family. She doesn’t want to have someone else dictating her life. She wants to be her own woman, believing in fairytales and happily ever afters.

Both of our main characters have their issues and things in the past that have made them the way they are. However, from their first meeting things were explosive. They had chemistry, but yet come from two completely different worlds. Detonate is an entertaining read, and for most part of the book is fast paced. I do feel it had a lot of potential and could have been a little bit more. Not saying that I disliked it because I did enjoy the read but it just felt like there was something missing or fell short, just a bit.I do look forward to looking into this Author’s catalog because her storyline was good and she kept me entertained.

Grayson doesn’t do love. A former military man turned emotionally guarded, he was betrayed by the two people he trusted most: his wife and his best friend, now a mafia hitman. Grayson keeps things simple: no attachments, no kisses, just physical release with no strings.

Maddie believes in fairy tales. She’s searching for her Prince Charming: someone kind, dependable, and safe. Instead, she finds Grayson: dangerous, brooding, and all wrong for her or so she thinks.

But sometimes, love detonates when you least expect it.

Detonate follows Maddie and Grayson from their explosive first kiss to a journey neither of them saw coming. Can Grayson be everything Maddie never knew she always needed?