This book had a slow start, but then was so much fun to read! By chapter three, I was completely hooked. One thing I would note is that this book is definitely not dark academia - the college setting is barely a factor in the plot and the romance. That said, it was still a fun read, especially with the correct expectations.

I loved the romance in this. Gráinne and Luca were so toxic and so codependent from basically the moment they met, and I ate up every moment of it. Luca was so inexperienced but such a softie for her and only her, and man obsessed is one of my favorite relationship dynamics to read.

The plot was interesting, focused on mafia politics, familial dysfunction, and betrayal. I wish there’d been more of it, and more Gráinne’s badass-ness - if there had been, this easily would have been a five star read for me. This book had a lot of spice, more than there was plot, but I knew that going in.

I’d recommend to fans of instalust, touch-her-and-die, and predators getting what they deserve.

One of the best books I read in May, Weaponized is a spicy young adult mafia romance with characters that I was immediately obsessed with.

The eldest daughter of the leader of the Irish mob, Gráinne has been raised to be a weapon in her father’s quest for power. She is not merely a beautiful pawn in an arranged marriage to secure alliances, as are most young women in her position. Gráinne’s entire life has been spent being trained and moulded into the femme fatale her father desired to use as a spy and lethal weapon.

Luca is one of the twin sons of a powerful Mafia don. The silent enforcer, Luca is a tattooed menace with anger issues who most are too intimidated to approach. But not Gráinne. She is immediately drawn to him, even though her father has his sight set on Gráinne seducing the other twin who is assumed to be the heir.

Gráinne and Luca are unexpectedly the perfect match. Luca is surprisingly naive when it comes to relationships and it was at turns humorous and distressing to witness how clueless he was in how to respond to Gráinne’s flirting and how she interpreted his responses, or lack thereof. Both have traumatic pasts that they work through in this book, resulting in feeling unworthy of love and a difficulty with trust.

An unexpected betrayal, an unhinged revenge plot by Gráinne’s narcissistic father, and the determination of the next generation of the organizations’ leadership determined to create something different. I love how the unexpected group of friends are able to build a foundation for the future that includes alliances and a found family of sorts.

If you are a mafia romance reader, get this on your tbr!

I really liked this book. The plot was interesting and kept me engaged. The characters overall were well developed and I loved the romance.

Weaponized is the first book in the Heirs of the Organized series by Kelly Kilburn. And as a mafia romance reader; I loved this book and can’t wait to read the next book in the series. I loved the fact that this took place at a mafia college; it was a good twist that differentiated the book form other mafia romances, Kelly Kilburn did a good job of character development for both Gráinne and Luca. I loved the fact that Gráinne was a strong female character. And the chemistry between Gráinne and Luca, was top notch. The world and characters, including the secondary characters were well developed, that I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. This was a quick, fun read that should be on all the mafia romances readers TBR list. Thanks NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I definitely enjoyed the plot of this book. I think the characters back stories and the ultimate lead up to where they are now from their past is perfectly ironic. The spice was well placed and I enjoyed the MC and FMC's personal and relationship development throughout the story!

I’ll be honest—instalove and mafia romance usually aren’t my go-to tropes, but the synopsis completely pulled me in… and I’m so glad it did. Kelly, I could NOT put this book down. I devoured it in under 12 hours. The gut punches? Ugh. They wrecked me in the best way. The tension, the chemistry, the raw emotion—it all hit so hard. Now I’m just over here begging for Taryn’s book. I need it, like, yesterday.

Unfortunately, this book is not for me. I typically love mafia romance but the college aged main characters were too young and naive for me. I’m sure the right audience will love this one!

🔥 WEAPONIZED by Kelly Kilburn
Heirs of the Organized #1
📅 On Sale: July 8, 2025

💀 Love is a dangerous game… and she’s the perfect weapon.

This spicy, pulse-pounding mafia romance absolutely delivered. Set in a world where loyalty is currency and secrets are fatal, Weaponized throws you straight into the fire with Gráinne, an Irish mafia princess, and Luca, the Bratva enforcer she should never fall for. But love doesn’t play by the rules—and neither do they.

🌶️ Enemies to lovers
🖤 Forbidden romance
💣 Mafia families at war
🔥 Dirty talk + poetic softness
🗡️ She’s meant to seduce… but he’s the one who disarms her.

I DEVOURED this book. The tension? Crackling. The spice? Perfection. The vulnerability in Luca's character? UGH. My entire soul. And don’t even get me started on the twists—this one is packed with betrayal, longing, and the kind of morally gray romance that keeps you hooked.

If you loved Savage Lands, Vicious, or Ruthless People, you NEED to meet Gráinne and Luca. This is BookTok mafia romance gold—no notes.

🧡 Thank you @HQNshamelessRomantics and @HarlequinBooks for the ARC!

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Weaponized, the first installment in Kelly Kilburn’s Heirs of the Organized series, delivers a fast-paced plot that kept me turning the pages. Grainne and Luca’s whirlwind romance leaned heavily into insta-love territory—something I personally didn’t quite connect with. While their bond lacked the emotional build up I hoped for, the overall storyline had enough intrigue to keep me invested.
Grainne and Luca stand strong as individual characters, each layered and intriguing. But together, I found their connection lacked the emotional resonance I was hoping for—particularly in Luca’s journey through intimacy and the burden of how he’s perceived by others, which felt like it deserved more exploration.
While this installment had its ups and downs, it laid a solid foundation for what could be a compelling series. I'm looking forward to seeing how the characters evolve and where the story takes us next.

It was my first book by Kelly Kilburn and I did enjoy it. It was a quick read. I enjoyed both MC and their romance, even though it was very insta love. While not my favorite I can still enjoy the relationship however it does have been miscommunication trope drives me crazy. I’m personally just not a fan of something that could be as resolved with a conversation. It was a good mafia romance, and I was invested in the story. I definitely think people will like this that will definitely give the author another chance.


Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin - Romance, and the author for this eARC

Review of Weaponized by Kelly Kilburn
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

Weaponized delivers a gritty, emotional, and unexpectedly tender mafia romance with an opposites-attract dynamic that really works. Grainne is the daughter of a psychotic Irish mafia boss (no shocker there), and Luca is the Bratva enforcer assigned to protect her. He’s a beast of a man—yes, please—but also a big, poetic softie when it comes to her. Their tension is so good, and their connection feels sincere, especially since they share so many of the same sentiments and wounds.

Luca’s character surprised me in the best way. He’s not a virgin, but his limited experience and genuine reactions made him feel vulnerable and refreshingly pure. His moments of insecurity (including that scene) were raw and believable, and his growth over the course of the story was incredibly satisfying. Also, let’s just say—his dirty talk seriously leveled up, and I was not mad about it.

Grainne’s bond with Elizabeth was also a standout. It added heart and authenticity, showing a softer side of her that really balanced out the chaos of her family life. That said, some of Grainne’s reactions felt a bit over the top. Her tendency to jump to conclusions got frustrating at times, and a few of the steamy dialogue lines felt a little forced, though maybe that’s intentional given her past experiences faking intimacy.

As for the villains? Gianni is the ultimate sleaze and can go crawl into an anthill and disappear. I was also surprised Matteo didn’t step up more for Grainne.

It’s not a slow burn, but it doesn’t rush either—the pace felt right for this kind of story. All in all, Weaponized is a solid, emotionally loaded mafia romance with a hero who will absolutely steal your heart.

Very much a touch her and die vibe mixed with INSTA LUST. Heavy on the insta lust. Forbidden romance too.

I’ve recently started getting into mob/mafia romance and this was a short and relatively sweet book that allowed me to get more into the trope.

I really enjoyed Gráinne as a character and found her well matched to Luca. The first bit of the book was a bit of a drag with some cringey sentences like “"At the ripe age of twenty, I now glide rather than walk. My smile is dazzling. My lips are just pink and puffy enough.
My golden hair is long, thick, and shiny."

but I started cheering for them when I was about 40% in. And the sentences got SO much better. We’re talking about”Every scar, every doubt, every ounce of fear and heartache had been worth it to make her mine. She may be an angel who knows the darkness, but she will always be my light. And, I may be a monster, but I will be the only weapon she will need for the rest of our lives.” Cliche but I loved it!

As a debut novel I think it’s well written with room for improvement as the series progresses. The author has established an interesting universe and set up the book so that there’s a chance for other characters to get books in the future.

If you love a cliche mafia/mob romance this is the perfect book for you! Plus it gives off real college campus vibes

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin - Romance, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I actually really liked this book and I loved the MC's but I do wish the MMC had a bit more personality at times but I can see how it could also play into the mysterious scary vibe he had going on. I loved the dark elements featured in this book and I appreciated how realistic this book was at certain parts. I wish there was more of the fmc's friend but I am sure she will be getting her own book at some point. I am excited for book 2 and cant wait to see who the "bad guy" will be this time!

Love. This. Book. Yep, that sums it up. The perfect balance of solid characters that you will root for, mafia politics and violence, sizzle and yearning, betrayals and secrets, emotion and spice. If you like mafia romance with a strong plot, you are in for a treat.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin - Romance, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gráinne's purpose was always to serve her family, with her beauty and seduction she is expected to be a weapon to benefit the mob and her father has ensured that it stays that way for her entire life. Her father then sends Gráinne to St. Agnes, a school for the richest and most corrupt, under the instruction to seduce and marry one of the four men he has chosen. This is easy enough, but things get complicated when she starts to fall for Luca, a monster, and the son of a powerful Mafia don and he is one of her four options. The only problem? Gráinne soon becomes attached to Luca, and she will do anything to save the people she loves, even if it means betraying her father.

Though this book was VERY insta-lust, I found myself deeply attached to both Gráinne and Luca. The first 20% of the books wasn't great in my opinion, though it got exponentially better after that. Some of the things in the book, (such as the characters constantly stuttering, and the repeated use of the word "like" even when it wasn't needed) caused the writing style to seem a bit wattpad-ish, Their sizzling chemistry was great, and though the plot was a bit lacking, for a debut novel it was not bad by any means. I have to admit I cried multiple times while reading this and overall it was an enjoyable, and quick read. I really enjoyed it and would love to read more in this series and by this author.

Weaponized contains highly explicit sexual content, as well as descriptions of alcohol drug use, graphic violence, torture, kidnapping, murder, and sexual assault (not between main characters).

Okay listen up mafia girlies: Kelly has knocked it OUT OF THE PARK with this debut! This had the fun twist of our fmc, Gráinne, being a femme fetal raised to be beautiful, unassuming, and deadly.

On the flip side, our mmc was a fairly inexperienced mafia don’s son with a lot of trauma. The entire book I just wanted to give Luca a hug :(

This was such a fun little mafia adventure and this mismatched couple stole my heart. I really liked the “college for mafia kids, politicians kids, etc.” Although this book only really talks about the school aspect primarily in the beginning, I hope one of the future books have more of the college kid aspect to it.

I am really excited to read about the next couple + the other couple teased in this book as the series continues!

I absolutely loved this book! I love mafia romance stories and this one did not disappoint. The only thing I wish is that we would have seen more interaction between Gráinne and her father. I feel like her relationship with him could have been expanded upon more. If you are looking for a very spicy college mafia romance do not hesitate on picking this one up! I cannot wait to read the stories of the other characters soon!

This was a great darker romance. It had a really good romance, and I found it very fun and exciting. I am fairly new to the dark romance genre, but I’ve been loving everything include this!!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I did enjoy this book. I liked the idea of a college full of mafia children. The girl in the story, this time, was the bad ass and i really enjoyed that. Especially since no one knew. The fact that she was forced to choose a partner made me mad but I was happy with her choice. I didnt even skip over the sex scenes like I normally do! I truly enjoyed this and cannot wait for book 2

I really am a sucker for a mafia romance and this one checks the box for sure. Weaponized has a strong female lead in Gráinne - a girl trained by her father to do whatever it takes for her family’s gain. And the story also has a decent male lead in Luca - a brooding, dark, mafia heir.

There’s instant lust between the characters and the slow burn to love is a fun read. The story is pretty fast paced and you could easily read this book in one sitting and be happy about it. I could have used a little more depth to the actual mafia storylines, like with Rowan, but I’m guessing that will come in future books in this series.

If you enjoy a mafia romance story with a touch of dark academia - Weaponized is definitely a good pick for you. I’m looking forward to checking out the next book in the series when it comes out.

Thank you to Kelly Kilburn, Harlequin Books and NetGalley for the ARC!