Thanks to @entangled_publishing for a #gifted eARC.
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To everyone else, Angela is just another broke law student trying to survive in a dusty California town. But beneath the surface she’s a former mafia heiress, hiding from a past soaked in luxury, secrets and blood.
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This story hooked me from page one. It’s gripping, emotional, and full of tension. You can feel the weight she carries, trying to outrun her past while navigating a new life that’s anything but safe. The love interest Brady was a heartthrob with a twist I didn’t see coming.
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If you love stories with dark family secrets, dangerous romances, and heroines trying to reclaim their lives, this one’s for you.

A strong FMC who is trying to start over far away from the family and life that has put her in harm's way more often than not. When she meets the MMC there is something so refreshing about him that she can't help but be drawn to him. However, she can't get too close to anyone for fear of being found out.

This story has the intrigue, passion, spice, and right amount of love to keep you entertained. Thank you to Brittany from Entangled for the eARC.

3.5/5

This was a cute, contemporary/cozy style romance.

The storyline includes the mafia, changing of identity, starting a new life, FBI, secrets and a medium-burn romance.

The story was easy to follow. The dialogue with the characters was realistic and the narrative was understandable.

The story flowed with ease at a medium pace.

I did find the ending a little sped up and closed the story out fast.

3.5⭐️, rounded up.
A Favor Owed isn’t your typical mafia romance, it offers a new take on the genre. The story follows Angela Pines and Brady McDaniels, two New Yorkers who find themselves in California for law school, each with very different motivations. It’s fast-paced, dual POV format lets you experience Angela and Brady’s growing connection while their secrets slowly unravel and impact one another. Overall, I enjoyed A Favor Owed and would recommend it to readers looking for a quick read and a fresh take on a genre they think they’ve seen it all in.

Tropes:
* Mafia romance
* Forced proximity
* Dual POV
* Law school setting
* Secrets and hidden past
* Slow burn with tension

Thank you Entangled and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC and provide my honest feedback.

Marisa Calcara absolutely delivers with A Favor Owed! This gripping, emotional, and sizzling slow-burn romance had me hooked from page one. The heroine’s journey from mafia royalty to law student in hiding is raw, vulnerable, and so compelling. And the love interest? SWOON. He’s charming, mysterious, and just dangerous enough to make your pulse race. Every twist pulled me deeper into their world, and the secrets they both carry added incredible tension. Smart, sexy, and full of heart, this is a must-read for fans of romantic suspense. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! 💥📚💖

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! This was my first "mafia" romance and a perfect romantic suspense.

Angelina and Brady meet as first year law students in California. On the outside, each seems like an ordinary promising law student. But they are both hiding deep secrets and dark pasts. As their attraction grows and they find their relationship becoming more than a fling, they perform a careful balancing act of sharing just enough with each other but not too much to send everything up in flames. Neither is confident that their bond will survive the truth, but it doesn't stop them from trying.

This book has a dual point of view so the reader is in on what each character is hiding, but there are also details that unravel throughout the book. Overall a very fun read!

A Favor Owed by Marisa Calcara is an intriguing & distinctive mafia romance that focuses on a young woman fleeing from her father’s dangerous world & trying to start over only to find a new stranger in her law school that sparks a flame. However, between her history & his, things might not what you expect, I recommend reading to find out more!

A Favor Owed is great for those looking to read…
🩷 Mafia Romance
🩷 Law School Romance
🩷 Secret Past
🩷 Close Proximity

I appreciated how unique this story was. I want to try to keep this vague because it’s so fascinating not knowing quite where this was going. This does deal with some difficult topics, so I do recommend checking content warnings.

If you are looking for an emotionally deep, interesting & spicy mafia-ish romance between two law school students, I recommend checking out A Favor Owed!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Entangled Amara for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

I enjoyed ‘A Favor Owed” it was a good story and was well paced. We’re introduced to Angela, a law student running away from her crime family. She’s changed her identity and looks to avoid being found thousands of miles from home. She meets Brady: a cute, popular, peer who reminds her of home. She’s afraid to get too close because of the dangers that come with her secret, but quickly learns that Brady isn’t who she thought he was. This book is told from multiple POVs and highlights what can happen when you make assumptions about a person without knowing them. Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the eARC.

I thought this was a good read, however I wasn’t wow’d at it at all. I found it to drag in some places which made my overall reading experience feel very meh

A Favor Owed held my interest from start to finish. It’s a light mafia romance. Most mafia romances I’ve read have more danger and characters not afraid to face it head on. Not really the case here but the story is still very good.

I wanted so badly to love this book. I really enjoyed the idea and premises of the OTHER side of mafia families, what happens in the event you want out and are willing to do what it takes to get there. However, I just felt like the characters in general weren't executed the way I had hoped for. I definitely enjoyed Angie more than Brady. His misogyny was intolerable and the chapters with his POV was extremely lackluster. As far as a debut novel, I can appreciate where the author was going with it but unfortunately it was a miss for me. The spice level was good once we got to that point but the borderline awkwardness to get there was almost not worth it. I would absolutely give this author another go because I can see the intent and I can hope that it will only get better with future work, but this one fell extremely short for me. 3/5 stars.

A mafia princess in hiding has moved across the country because she betrayed her family. A NYC Firefighters family was caught in the crossfire of her betrayal and now he’s out for revenge.

This was an interesting read. At the beginning the way the MMC Brady spoke about Angie bothered me. But as time goes on he changes his ways.

It was a great debut novel and looking forward to her next book.

This book was such a fun mix of tension, romance, and just the right amount of angst. The enemies-to-lovers vibes were strong, and the chemistry between the main characters really carried the story. I loved the banter and emotional depth, even if a few plot points felt a little familiar. Still, it kept me hooked from start to finish. A great read if you’re into slow burns, strong heroines, and a bit of spice!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5 stars, rounded up)

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing (Amara) for the e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Favor Owed is a quick, emotional read with a different kind of mafia romance—more about healing and second chances than danger. Angela wants a new life, and Brady has secrets of his own, which makes their connection interesting.

Their relationship was really sweet, and I especially liked how their first time together felt real and a little awkward in a way that’s rarely shown in romance. It made them feel more believable.

The 9/11 storyline added a serious, emotional layer that gave the book more weight. Some parts felt a little rushed, but overall, I enjoyed it and would read more from this author.

I sped right through this book! It was so fun to read and I loved Angela more than anything. To me, this wasn't a typical mafia romance. It focused more on the boss's daughter, and she was more outside the business. The slow burn and banter really made for a wonderful book, and also made it easy to read.

Two people trying so hard to escape the past and decide if love is worth it!!
II didn’t love this book. It was cute and maybe it’s because I felt like this concept has been played out too many times in too many ways.

You will like this one if you love the tropes
🖤Mafia princess in hiding
🖤Slow burn romance
🖤Dual secrets
🖤Found family

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

My Review
This was different than any other mafia romance I’ve read and I enjoyed it! Instead of focusing on the mafia, it focused on the aftermath of leaving the criminal legacy behind she was once a mafia princess who is finding the moral high ground by turning against the family and trying to pursue and live a normal life. I was really drawn into her story and I think for a debut novel this was done really well.

3.5 stars. I liked the concept behind the story, but it wasn't what I was expecting. With Angela being a mafia princess, I was expecting to see more of the actual mafia in this book. This story is a dual POV, so we get to know what is going on from both sides from early on. This book was okay, but I was wanting a little more to be going on than actually was.

This book surprised me. It’s not your typical mafia romance — it’s softer, more introspective. Angela is a resilient, smart heroine, and Brady is the kind of morally gray love interest that keeps you turning pages. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

This book was such an easy read and so entertaining. I cannot wait to read more from Marisa Calcara.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC | Entangled: Amara for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was anxious the whole way through with this read!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I was hooked from the start with this read. It has a more accurate representation of the Mafia than most books and that’s more than enough to earn my respect.

Characters are well written though there were a few parts that I felt the pacing was a bit slow.

Overall a good read. Big plus that it’s available on KU.