If I see an Entangled ARC sign up am I going to sign up for it? Absolutely! I saw this one and I couldn’t resist! This was a super fast read and one that sounded so good!

🌹Màfíá Princess
🖤 Dual POV
🌹Forbidden Romance
🖤Secrecy

This book has some dark elements and the FMC is in hiding because of these dark themes. The relationship between the 2 MCs keeps you on your toes due to the secrecy and forbidden romantic vibes. There’s a suspenseful undertone to this book that keeps you wanting more! Forbidden romance is one of my favorite tropes and I loved this one.

⚠️Possible Trigger Warnings

Thank you to @entangled_publishing for allowing me to read this arc!

Thank you Entangled for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. A quick pace story between the main characters where they both have secrets from each other, including ones that could get their parents in trouble. It was fun reading about Angela and Brady trying to dance around with their secrets but they end up falling hard for each other. We see glimpses of assumptions about one another and how they fall apart throughout the story. The ending felt a bit rush with how things ended. Regardless of this, highly recommend the novel & a book you do not want to put down.

I enjoyed the first half of this book. It felt like a college romance, and both of the main characters had fun personalities. Both Angela and Brady were keeping secrets from each other while simultaneously starting a friendship and relationship.

Unfortunately, I had a hard time buying that Angela was a mafia princess which was supposed to be one of the main premises of the book. I was hoping for more action and danger, but it felt like a typical contemporary romance because the stakes were too low.

Overall, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. There was a lot of potential with the plot, but it needed a little more mafia to work for me.

Thanks NetGalley and Entangled publishing for the eARC.

3.5 stars

-Duel POV

Quick read, it felt a little outside of its genre for mafia/contemporary but over all a pretty good debut novel. I would be excited to see what comes next from Marisa

Thank you to entangled and NetGalley for an arc copy of this book!

I love a mafia romance. So I thought this book would be right up my alley. And honestly? Kinda. I think there were some parts where the book was a little 🫣 but for the most part I ate it up. It managed to be a mafia romance without being the same troupes that always get used.

Overall, Angie was my girl.

Thank you Entangled for the ARC

Angela Pines appeared to be the average college student who was struggling to make ends meet while going to law school part time and work full time. Between her waitressing job and her cheap and falling apart rental, each day was a lesson in survival. This was a big change to how Angela’s life was a year ago: a big mansion, designer clothes and anything she wanted. The problem? Her dad committed heinous crimes so that they could enjoy the nicer things in life. After running away from her mafia princess life, Angela feels like she owes society. Essentially a debt to the society that she is now a part of. The only relief that Angela now finds comfort in is Brady McDaniels. Brady is tall, fit and is the boy-next-door. The last thing Angela expects is to fall for the man. That would complicate things. However, it appears that they both have fallen more for each than they were expecting. The issue? Brady is hiding even bigger a secret than Angela is. Will their secrets pull them apart or will they learn to trust each other despite the lies they’ve been holding in?

This was such a good but fun read! I’ve not read this author before and it was such a treat! Some tropes include strangers to lovers, he falls first, ex-mafia princess, some suspense and more. Some TWs would be mentions of violence, explicit s*xual content, and more. Please look into possible triggers either on the Author’s page or website. Take care of yourself.

This was such a fun and easy read I flew through it! There’s plenty of drama that pulls you in right from the start and makes it hard to put the book down. It’s a mafia romance, but with a twist: she’s the one in the mafia family, which adds a really refreshing dynamic. The dual POV adds even more depth to the story, letting you see both sides and making the emotional moments hit even harder. If you’re into fast paced Mafia romances with a bit of edge, this one’s definitely worth picking up!

4 stars ⭐️ I really enjoyed this debut novel! It's a book that has lot's of high-stake drama and romance. I connected with the main characters and couldn't put the book down. I was rooting for Angela as she set off on a new life.

What to expect:
- Dual POV
- Mafia Princess x Firefighter
- Slow Burn
- Debut Novel

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Mafia princess Angela leaves New York for California to attend law school. She wants to start a new life, and to excommunicate herself from her family, and the crimes her father has committed as a member of the mob. Enter Brady, a classmate with what could be an even bigger secret than the ones Angela has. Brady wants to get close to Angela, as a way to help his father, and has a preconceived notion about this "spoiled mafia princess." But as Brady and Angela get to know each other, their feelings start to change. They both know they shouldn't get close to each other and it's a bad idea, but sometimes you listen to your heart over your brain.

I enjoyed the overall plot of this book and the character development. Brady and Angela had some fun banter, and you see them both in moments of vulnerability, stuck between their family, and doing what's best for someone they've grown to care about.

This was my first Mafia romance, and certainly won't be my last!

Rating: 3.5/5
I would describe A Favor Owed as a light mafia romance compared to the ones I typically read. This is perfect for readers who want to dive into these types of books without wanting anything too dark. Angela is a mafia princess hiding from the mafia life for reasons involving her mafia boss's father and the illegal activities he’s involved in. She wants to lead an everyday life as a law college student when she meets a “boy next door/cinnamon roll” fellow student, Brady, with whom she hits it off. But Brady, too, is hiding secrets.

As mentioned earlier, A Favor Owed is a light mafia romance and light on the spice. I enjoyed the banter dialogue between Angela and Brady as they got to know each other. Much of the story was Angela protecting Brady from learning about her secretive mafia life. There are some sad moments in Brady’s story and his family's. I did like how everything wrapped up in the ending.

This book exceeded my expectations; it was such an amazing story, and the characters were so memorable. I was totally engaged throughout the entire novel.

A Favor Owed by Maris Calcara was such a fun and gripping read! I really enjoyed this romance—it had the perfect mix of mystery, danger, and chemistry. The main character’s hidden past as a mafia princess made for such an interesting twist, and her new life in a sleepy California town felt like the calm before a storm. Add in a swoony, secretive love interest and the tension just kept building in the best way

A Favor Owed by Marisa Calcara
Releases 5/12/2025

🩷 Mafia Princess
🌸 Golden Retriever MMC
🩷 Dual POV
🌸 Secrets
🩷 Hidden Identity

I was pleasantly surprised by this book!! I was so obsessed with all of these tropes, anything mafia I usually love, and this book absolutely stole all of my attention. Once I started it I could not put it down! I was constantly thinking about it. I thought this was a great debut novel from Calcara and I will definitely be back for more!

4 stars out of 5 stars
Thank you so much to Entangled publishing for this ARC!

To everyone else, I look like just another struggling law student. Out here in the dry, sleepy California town of Dos Torres, I’ve got a job serving tables, a cheap (some would describe it as “decrepit”) rental, and every day is a lesson in survival.

No one would ever know that last year, I lived in a mansion in New York, everything I wore was high-end designer, and I had everything I could ever want. And the cost of it all? Knowing that my family—my own dad—committed unspeakable crimes for everything we had.

I’m a former “mafia princess” with a debt to pay to society. No one in “the family” knows where I am or what I'm doing. And they can’t ever find out.

Only now a complication has entered my already too-complicated life—and he’s tall, fit, and has a boy-next-door grin that invites trouble. He has no idea who he’s falling for…or that just being seen with me could get him killed.

But apparently I’m not the only one who’s good at lying—because he’s hiding one hell of a secret, too.

I was drawn into this book by the premise of a former mafia princess and an innocent seeming boy in a tangled web. While I was interested in the premise, the writing was overly descriptive and wordy. It felt the need to spell out everything in the extreme and interrupted any progression in the story. Along the same vein, there were a lot of odd inner monologues and phrases used in the book. This book didn't agree with me, but it could still be good for someone who is looking for an under 300 page mafia romance book.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for this E-ARC—because WOW, I was not ready for how hard this book would hit!

Y’all. A mafia princess in hiding + a cinnamon roll firefighter with secrets of his own? Add law school tension, some seriously swoony banter, and emotional gut-punches, and you've got a book I devoured in one sitting.

Angela Pines is fierce, guarded, and trying to outrun a last name soaked in crime. But this girl isn’t running for fear—she’s running to rebuild. Law school in sleepy Dos Torres isn’t glamorous, but it’s her shot at justice, redemption, and freedom. I adored her from page one. She’s not about the drama—she’s about doing the right thing, even when it breaks her.

And then there's Brady. Ohhh Brady.
This charming, flirtatious, secret-keeping sweetheart had me grinning and side-eyeing him HARD. But underneath the jokes and easy smile is a man who's seen too much, lost too much, and is just trying to protect what’s left.

And the romance? 🔥🥹💔 It’s tension-filled, slow-burn, and full of longing. You know the secrets are gonna blow everything up—and yet, you’re rooting for them with your whole heart. Also...Chapter 33?? Absolutely broke me. Brady’s POV during 9/11? Raw, beautiful, devastating. I had actual tears.

This story isn’t about the mafia—it’s about surviving its shadow. It’s about two people trying to claw their way out of the wreckage of their pasts and figure out if love is worth the risk when secrets are life or death.

A swoony, emotional, fast-paced debut that hits all the marks. If you love undercover tension, Dirty Dancing references, banter that bites, and characters with depth, grab this book ASAP.

💌 Favorite Things:
– Angela’s fight to right her family’s wrongs
– Brady’s soft heart behind all the charm
– Twists, secrets, and emotional weight
– YES to that mental health rep
– All the Dirty Dancing Easter eggs!

My heart is still recovering. Marisa Calcara, you just earned a forever reader. 🖤

“A favor done is a favor owed”—a powerful sentiment that sets the tone for this story of secrets, redemption, and second chances.

Angela, a former mafia princess, is determined to rewrite her story by going to law school and trying to repay a moral debt she feels she owes to society. There, she meets Brady, a fellow law student who’s also carrying secrets of his own.

While I appreciated the concept and really enjoyed the dual POVs, I struggled to fully connect with the characters. The story definitely has potential, and I can see how others might be drawn to the layered backstories and themes of transformation—but it just didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

✨𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆✨

To everyone else, I look like just another struggling law student. Out here in the dry, sleepy California town of Dos Torres, I’ve got a job serving tables, a cheap (some would describe it as “decrepit”) rental, and every day is a lesson in survival.

No one would ever know that last year, I lived in a mansion in New York, everything I wore was high-end designer, and I had everything I could ever want. And the cost of it all? Knowing that my family—my own dad—committed unspeakable crimes for everything we had.

I’m a former “mafia princess” with a debt to pay to society. No one in “the family” knows where I am or what I'm doing. And they can’t ever find out.

Only now a complication has entered my already too-complicated life—and he’s tall, fit, and has a boy-next-door grin that invites trouble. He has no idea who he’s falling for…or that just being seen with me could get him killed.

But apparently I’m not the only one who’s good at lying—because he’s hiding one hell of a secret, too.

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

A Favor Owed by Marisa Calcara proved to be an invigorating read. It was engaging and swiftly navigated the events that brought Angela and Brady together. It was delightful to observe how, despite their secrets, they still found a way to become deeply engrossed in one another. Although somewhat foreseeable, the narrative retained an element of surprise. I enjoyed this throughly.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Entangled:Amara for providing me an ARC of this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed the unique twist on mafia romance that this book offers. When I picked it up, I didn't expect the MMC to be such a golden retriever, but I absolutely loved it. Brady is sweet, loyal, and willing to do anything to protect his loved ones. Angela, the daughter of a mob boss, bravely turned against her father upon discovering his involvement in tr@ff!ck!ng rings.

Brady's backstory was particularly captivating, with his family dynamics making him an endearing MMC. Angela is portrayed as strong and independent, fully aware of the risks she faced by betraying her father, yet she chose to do it anyway. Both main characters are incredibly likable.

While I appreciated the backstory and the fresh take on mafia romance, I would have preferred a few more unpredictable twists throughout the book. The book contains limited spice, with only a few scenes, but what it lacks in spice, it compensates for with continuous drama from beginning to end. This is a quick read that offers a refreshing perspective within the genre. Despite touching on some dark themes and crimes, it is not a dark romance.

Book Rating:⭐️4/5
Spice Rating:🌶️ 1/5

Did this mafia romance have me crying while reading? Absolutely. Did I love every bit of the emotional damage? Also yes.

Brady and Angela were so sweet, and I adored their story. Brady was just… perfect. I was totally captivated by him, and honestly, I get why Angela fell so hard, he’s the ultimate book boyfriend. I didn’t expect to be kicking my feet over a mafia romance, but there I was, blushing like a schoolgirl.

It’s definitely on the lighter side when it comes to mafia elements, but they’re still there, and I think it totally counts. I actually liked that Angela wasn’t fully obsessed with that lifestyle. As the "princess" of the mafia world, her perspective felt fresh and made the story more compelling, especially as the character's growth unfolded. Her not knowing the full truth about Brady just added to the tragedy and chaos in the best way.

Angela was such a badass, smart, caring, sexy, and with just the right hint of mystery. It was fun seeing her navigate everything.

The only thing keeping this from being 5 stars for me was that some plot points became a bit predictable. I loved the high-stakes drama, but there were moments where I thought, “Really? You didn’t see that coming?” Still, this book delivered all the emotional angst and was romantic as hell.

Highly recommend if you’re into swoony, drama-filled mafia love stories with heart!

This was unfortunately a DNF for me. I’ve really gotten into romantic suspense lately, so I was really excited to read a mafia romance!

Sadly, I found myself struggling to get through this and eventually had to call it quits. I might finish it eventually, but I did not want to put off a review.

I know the book is fiction, but the whole scenario just felt a bit too far-fetched for me? And I wasn’t getting the chemistry between the two main characters that I think we were supposed to be getting.