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Member Reviews

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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A steamy, tension-filled romance with an ex-Mafia princess and a firefighter from the Bronx. 3.5 🌟s

For a debut novel, A Favor Owed was an engaging read. It isn't your typical Mafia romance but does a good job of adding some of that atmosphere to the story. Angie and Brady are both law students with complicated pasts and layered secrets. There is some strong chemistry, some great banter, and their relationship quickly becomes deeper than either bargained for. There were some aspects that felt mildly disconnected or drug out even for the fast pace of the story, but overall a well-flowing, enjoyable easy read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Marisa Calcara, and Entangled: Amara for the opportunity to read this in advance. All opinions are my own.

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This book was very much filled with drama and was incredibly fast paced. That being said, the story did feel rushed at times but was not overtly unenjoyable. To me, it was just ok. Entertaining in the moment, but not as memorable. I even gave myself time after finishing the book to review it in case my opinion changed, but I can say that now most of details surrounding this book have left my brain. I loved at the dual POV and how easy it was to follow along with the plot! I also really enjoyed the FMCs personality... she was very strong willed, determined, and unapologetically herself which I appreciated. The MMC, however, I did not like. At all. He was persistent and pushy and it made me feel icky. Because I didn't like the MMC, I just didn't feel the spark in the relationship. I just kept thinking that Miss Angie deserved better. Overall, a quick and entertaining read, but not super memorable and not necessarily for me!

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DNFed at 50%.

I wanted to love this so so much. I requested it as soon as I read the blurb because it was giving spicy steamy mafia romance and the plot itself was so intriguing to me. It just fell really flat of those expectations for me.

The characters were my biggest issue. I felt no chemistry at all. No spark, no tension, nothing. Their relationship felt but rushed and drug out at the same time? The dialogue was at times awkward and cringy. I did not like the mmc at all and his pov chapters were not for me.

I can absolutely see where the author was trying to go it just, for me, did not work.

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Ok I LOVED this book!!! I honestly can’t wait for book 2! I’m almost always a romantasy girl but I like my occasional mafia romance, but this one! It was different, it was refreshing, it was gut wrenching and heart breaking but it was absolutely AMAZING!!! I want to see so much more of Angela and Brady’s story. Thank you Entangled Publishing, LLC and @Marisa Calara for providing me with an ARC of this book!!!

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DNF @ 52%

I was fascinated by this concept, but there were a few things not working for me here.
First, the MMC has a horrible view of women and I got very tired very quickly of the way he referred to Angela's body. He was too much of a playboy internally while externally being nice and it was just a weird balance?
Second, the way Brady was deceiving Angela made me angry in general, which I know is kinda the point. But I could tell from the writing and the way he acted that I was not going to feel redeemed when the truth finally came out. I was dreading reading on more than I was excited because I just had a feeling that I would be more irritated with the whole situation. (I did not finish so I don't know if my fears were actualized or not)
Third, the writing was very simple (not a bad thing) and seemed weak in trying to succinctly build atmosphere and characterization in the beginning.
Fourth and probably most importantly, this was a romance and I felt ZERO chemistry between our two leads. There was physical attraction (which on his end was almost gross in his mind) but that's about it. The reason and way they begin talking felt out of place - he was in her class all along and they knew of each other but she almost reacts like she was meeting him for the first time? It was just a very confusing vibe between them. But I felt no emotional attachment, especially because the reader knows that he is deceiving her intentionally while she is deceiving him out of safety/necessity.

Overall just a little disappointed by this but as I am also not a typical mafia romance reader, maybe this is just not for me?

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This was a surprising read for me. As a first-time author Marisa Calcara was able to create a memorable and easy flowing novel. I found myself thoroughly enjoying the book, and excited to get back to it.

The book is a little bit of everything, mafia romance, college life, a hint of enemies to lovers, and found family. The character are all developed well, Angela and Brady have good backgrounds and amazing chemistry. Having the dual point of view was good for this storyline, to be able to understand the secrets between the two of them that weren’t shared with each other. The build for the relationship was enticing, evening with the ‘dead end’ that was approaching. I adored Angela, while at times she almost seems too perfect of a character, she was great. She is quirky, smart, caring, and learning to find her own way for the first time in her life. Brady was fun, reading his point of view was needed for the story so you didn’t hate him, without knowing him I think those table could have definitely turned. Their romance is swoon worthy and intense, but heart-aching too – I may have teared up near the end. The one character that didn’t seem realistic to me was the big boss, Angelo. There was a lot of hype around him through the book, about being dangerous, not caring, business first, but when we finally do meet him (in not the best way), I didn’t really believe him as a character.

Mafia romance hasn’t been a genre that I read often, but this was a nice entry into it. While the mafia is there, it wasn’t a prominent part of the story. I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for this Advanced Readers Copy.

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This book wasn’t for me. I read to 40% and was not interested in reading it further. I really disliked the MMC. At the point I stopped reading he was still lying to her but hooking up with her to get answers. It was just gross. A lot of his cockiness wasn’t cute it was cringe. I honestly had no idea what the FMC even liked about him. This book may get better and I was a little intrigued to find out what happens in the end but there was just too much that didn’t sit right with me to continue.

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I definitely thought that this was going to be a darker mafia romance since it was mentioned that way. I personally think that it was a lighter read than I expected it to be but it was still good! I was rooting for the characters the entire time and I adored them.

I can’t wait to read more!

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Angela, a former mafia princess, hides in a small California town, trying to redeem herself through law school. When she meets Brady, a sweet and charming guy with secrets of his own, their slow-burn romance unfolds with tension, heart, and high stakes. Their pasts haunt both of them, and the looming threat of discovery adds suspense. Marisa Calcara’s debut blends wit, emotional depth, and a unique perspective on crime, guilt, and redemption. This is a gripping and memorable read with well-developed characters, meaningful mental health representation, and a few heartbreaking moments. Perfect for romance fans who appreciate secrets, soul, and just enough danger.

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Angela is on the run from her Mafia family and hiding out at a small law school in California. Everything seems to be going well, until Brady comes into her life and starts making things complicated. They both are hiding secrets from each other, but they’re also both falling for each other.

The plot of this book and the characters were pretty interesting. I really enjoyed the dual POV. Angela was full of secrets which made it hard to feel a connection to her. Brady was also hiding secrets, but felt more open and relatable. It was adorable watching him fall for Angela. Their romance was cute and sweet which I enjoyed. This was a pretty quick read, but there was some repetitiveness and pacing issues. It never really felt like either character was in any actual danger despite the alleged threat from the Mafia, so this was actually a much lighter read than I anticipated.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for the advanced copy!

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A Favor Owed was an okay read for me. I loved the premise of it but not so much the execution. I'm a huge fan of mafia romances but this didn't work for me even though I loved that the author tackled it from a different perspective. There wasn't anything that really stood out about it to me. It left me feeling meh after all was said and done to be honest.

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I wouldn't call this a mafia romance. I'd call it a not-mafia-mafia romance. The female main character is a mafia princess on the run from her family. She fled New York to start over in California. She finds herself in the crosshairs of a sweet boy next door from the Bronx. He's hiding a huge secret, and she isn't willing to tell him who she really is. I loved the chemistry between the two characters and rooted for them to have their HEA.
Spice level was about a 2. This was more of a slow burn with a lot of banter.
Overall, this book was more like a cute contemporary romance with a lot of family drama. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to reading more from Marisa.

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In A Favor Owed by Marisa Calcara, expect a compelling mix of slow-burning tension, dangerous secrets, and a love story that’s as risky as it is irresistible.

The FMC (Angela) comes from a family with ties that could turn deadly. She’s determined to make a difference with the hand she’s been dealt, but the secrets she carries may be what holds her back.

The MMC (Brady) is trying to save his family, even if it means making impossible choices that could hurt others in the process.

When these two collide, their differences spark an unexpected connection. What begins with friction slowly transforms into something deeper. But with secrets, outside interference, and personal revelations standing in their way, the journey ahead will either bring them closer or tear them apart.

Do I recommend? Yes!!

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It was “meh.” A self-entitled man falls in love with a great woman trying to right other people's wrongs. Their banter made the story better.

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MAFIA ROMANCE ALERTTT! Okay, so there's a mafia PRINCESS who decided to erase her life and start over by ratting her family out and then tries to live her new life, but then meets a manz who could ruin that (because of course). Fast-paced and easy to follow, and not super dark! I don't love dark romance but I always eat up mafia romance... hehe.

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I enjoyed Angela and Brady's story. I just expected more and it took me a while to finish this book. At less than 500 pages, I really expected to fly through this book and I was looking forward to seeing more of the "law school student".

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