Delicious tension, excellent banter, and a plot that kept me turning pages. The “enemies with chemistry” trope was executed to perfection. Can’t wait to read more from this author.

I really enjoyed this book. This contemporary, mafia(ish?) romance was a quick and entertaining read. I wouldn't consider this a mafia romance, but the mafia is heavily mentioned. At around 300 pages, I was able to read it from start to finish in just over a day.

The [mostly] dual narration from Angela and Brady's points of view kept things interesting and fun. Both characters were likeable, with big but understandable secrets, and their storylines, including backstories, were very well done. I felt immersed in the story when we met Brady's chaotic family, especially his hot tempered mother, or his feisty little sister.

Being from New York, I find the topic of 9/11 and the unimaginable losses of that day to be such a heavy thing to read about. I feel like this book did it justice, mentioning the loss of a parent, how it affected the MMCs life, and overall just how profound that day was in everyone's lives.

Some parts might not be completely realistic - specifically with the conclusion. I'm not going to spoil it for the readers, but I don't think mafia bosses would be that forgiving. I mean - my experience only comes from the Sopranos, but still. Either way, that didn't bother me at all. I rather the book had the resolution it did then end a different way.

Overall, I really enjoyed Angela and Brady's story. A great read!

Angela Pines did something that some would find inconceivable, she betrayed her family and turned them into the authorities for they're less than honorable choice. By doing this she also put a target on her back, one that she is certain someone will follow through on, which leads her to skip town and change her name. Hoping the past won't follow her...

A Favor Owed is a tension-filled page-turner that is certain to keep you dangling helplessly from the edge of your chair the whole way through. Our heroine Angela has found herself picking up the pieces of her broken life and trying to create a new one in a whole new town, under a new name, and with a new mission. To be someone other than what her family turned out to be. She wants to be a good person, one who can be trusted, depended upon, and have nothing that attaches her to her family. She just needs to stay focused, put her plan first and not allow any distractions to stray her from that plan. Then he happens...

This was an enjoyable read, it kept me captivated and stirred the emotions a bit, and the characters were well drawn and easy to connect with... overall I'd say it hit all it's marks! Highly recommend!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.

I really enjoyed this book! It’s a mafia romance that totally sucked me in. The character development was on point—I felt like I really got to know the characters and their journeys. They were relatable and real, which made me care about what happened to them.

I loved how the FMC was strong in her moral compass considering the lifestyle she was raised in. The MMC showed true love and grit for his family when he gave up his dream to help his dad. Their banter was great, their push and pull was better.

The plot kept things moving, the tension with each of their secrets and what would happen if either found out kept me flipping pages faster. It was a quick read, but it definitely packed a punch with all the drama and feels.

I had such a good time with this book, and I can’t wait to check out more from this author. If you’re into a fun, steamy read with some excitement, you should definitely give this one a shot!

I did receive a digital ARC of this book. Thank you Entangled Publishing and Marisa Calcara.

Marisa Calcara’s debut novel was a pleasant surprise. I’m not typically into mafia-themed stories, but this one doesn’t really fall into that category. It’s more about the fallout of being connected to that world than the inner workings of it.

Angela is a sharp, determined law student in California, same with Brady. It’s pretty apparent she elected to go there instead of a prestigious Law school and that disconnect is the first clue there’s more going on. Angela is running from her powerful mafia family in New York, trying to build a life on her own terms. Brady has his own reasons for laying low, involving someone close to him who's gotten into trouble.

Angela really carries the story. She’s grounded, strong-willed, and driven, not the kind of heroine who backs down. I appreciated how her desire to become a lawyer felt purposeful and earned, not just a plot device like other elements came off as.

One thing that didn’t quite add up for me: Brady is said to have been six years old on 9/11, which would put him around 30 now, yet he’s written like he’s in his mid-20s. The timeline feels off.

But it was still a good book, that I would definitely recommend.

A great read! The suspense is great! I like that the book was dual pov, it helped keep the suspense without being too confused with the narrative. The pace of the book correlated great with the amount of twists and turns. I enjoyed this read through and through. A 5 star read from me!

Rating: 3.5 stars

A Favor Owed by Marisa Calcara delivers a compelling slow-burn romance packed with emotional tension, layered characters, and a satisfying fake-relationship dynamic. She does a great job with character development—the protagonists are complex, with a slow and believable build-up to their chemistry.

The writing is smooth, and the emotional stakes are high, but the pacing lags in the middle, and some twists feel a bit too expected. Still, the emotional depth and tension kept me invested. It’s not a genre-defining standout, but it’s a solid, engaging read with heart and just enough heat.

I was expecting something else when I was reading this book, we have a mafia princess who has gone off the radar, she finds out that her dad is a really bad guy, changes her identity, goes to college and then she meets this gorg classmate and the rest is history. but like she has some secrets, he also has some too. Being a mafia romance lover i was expecting more of an alpha-ish romance, but it was not. But it was so sweet, the ending was so adorable.

3.25 stars

A Favor Owed is an interesting debut that utilizes tropes in freshly subverted ways. Had this been slightly less repetitive, paced more proportionately, and contained a grovel equivalent to the harm caused, this would easily have been a four-star read. That said, I still felt invested in the story and wondered how everything was going to unfold.

Overall, if you like the premise and the “we’re keeping secrets from each other” meets forced proximity tropes, I think you will enjoy this book.

For how long can you run and hide until your past catches up with you? A Favor Owed by Marisa Calcara takes us into the story of Angelica Pines who is a college student from New York who is running away from her family to California.

She has taken on a secret identity to be able to hide from the criminal family she is from after she discovers her father is involved with some dark activities.

How long can she stay hidden until someone comes poking around? Well she meets this guy at a bar who takes sudden interest in her, is he looking to get lucky or is he fishing for information? This book was really good and entertaining! Defintely a beginner friendly darkish romance

Secrets…hand and hand with intrigue. Betrayal and deception…yet not without emotional affection and connection. Tension…coupled with intimacy. A new adult romance with a non-dark mafia twist featuring Angela, a graduate law student hiding from her family (that is involved in some not-so-kosher activities) and Brady, a handsome guy she thinks is a fellow student but who has his own hidden agenda. I thought the plot moved quickly as secrets from both characters were revealed and their lives became more intertwined. I appreciated the dual PoV, and the care when referencing 9/11 an enduring addition. A complex, creative romance that held my interest throughout.

Descriptions were not the best. This book wasn’t bad but it also wasn’t good. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I’m so sorry that it wasn’t what I would recommend my audience

From the moment I started A Favor Owed by Marisa Calcara, I was completely hooked. It has all the intensity of a classic mafia romance, but with a fresh perspective and a distinct narrative style that really stood out to me. I loved the added suspense of the female protagonist not knowing the male lead’s true identity, and it kept me turning pages late into the night. I couldn’t put it down and didn’t want it to end.

3.5 star rounded up.

This wasn't my favorite. There was a lot more drama than I had expected. For being a struggling law student, there wasn't as much of the student aspect as I had expected and wish there was a little bit more of it. I can see how she's struggling in other aspects of her life, but how does that maybe interfere with her being student? That's just one of the things it has left me thinking about.

This is not what I was expecting, but in a good way. It's not your typical "Mafia" story because other than being a "mafia princess," there's not much of that life shown. I really liked Angela. I thought she had gone through a lot and persevered and the author did a good job conveying that. I also think the chemistry with Brady was really good. I think this was a decent story and easy to read.

Thank you to entangled for this ARC! I was so excited to read this considering it was a mafia princess, but it fell short for my expectations. Luckily, it wasn't super long, so i didn't struggle to get through it. It was fast paced. I just didn't love it and felt like there was something missing.

Favor Owed by Marisa Calcara isn’t your typical mafia romance, and that’s exactly what makes it stand out. If you come into this book expecting violence, organized crime drama, or the usual brand of dark, seductive danger, you might be surprised—or even a little disoriented. Because this story doesn’t center on the mafia world; it centers on what happens when you walk away from it.

Angela Pines is a character whose whole existence hinges on reinvention. Formerly known as Angelina Pini, daughter of a New York crime boss, she once lived in a Manhattan penthouse, draped in designer clothes and surrounded by power she didn’t ask for. But Angela has seen too much, and one day, something in her snaps. She reports her father’s crimes—most notably, his involvement in a human trafficking operation—and disappears. That decision defines every moment of the life she builds afterward.

Now, in a dusty California town no one’s ever heard of, Angela is trying to pass as just another broke law student. She waits tables. She studies hard. She keeps her head down. She lives in a decaying rental house and goes by a new name—though admittedly, a laughably thin alias that translates her old Italian last name into English (Angela Pines from Angelina Pini). It’s one of the few moments in the book where I had to pause and suspend a lot of disbelief. If you’re on the run from the mafia and possibly the FBI, you might want to pick a name that doesn’t sound like your birth certificate went through Google Translate.

Still, Angela is doing her best with what she has, which, emotionally speaking, isn’t much. She’s cut off from her family. She’s completely alone. Her guilt over what her father did—and what she was willing to ignore for so long—is something she carries like a physical burden. And she’s determined to do something good with her second chance. She wants to become a lawyer, not to chase prestige or power, but to help people who don’t usually get help, especially victims of the kind of exploitation her father profited from. That thread alone gives the book more heart than many romance novels ever attempt.

Enter Brady McDaniels: smooth, charismatic, a little too nosy for his own good. At first glance, he seems like a classic love interest—the charming, easygoing guy with a tragic backstory and a smile that gets him out of trouble. But there’s more to him, and not just the predictable “he’s not who he says he is” twist. Brady’s father is sitting in jail, caught up in the same legal storm that brought down Angela’s family. And now Brady has enrolled in the same law school under the guise of a student, hoping to get close to Angela and find a way to clear his father’s name.

What makes Brady interesting isn’t just his secret—it’s his gradual unraveling. He starts off thinking Angela is cold, selfish, maybe even a little monstrous. He thinks she owes him. Owes his father. And for the first third of the book, he treats her with a sense of superiority and manipulation that’s genuinely uncomfortable. But as he spends more time around her, the lines between revenge and romance begin to blur. He sees her grief. Her fear. Her decency. And something inside him starts to shift. His mission becomes less about clearing his father’s name and more about protecting the woman he’s been lying to.

The emotional tension between Angela and Brady is handled well. There’s banter, friction, mutual curiosity, and the ever-present threat of exposure. Their chemistry isn’t instant. It builds, layer by layer, through shared vulnerability, frustration, and unexpected empathy. They’re both lying. They’re both hurting. And neither of them quite knows what to do with the bond forming between them. What starts as a game of secrets becomes a slow-burn relationship grounded in real emotional stakes.

One of the most impressive things Calcara pulls off is letting these characters grow. Angela isn’t just a “strong female lead”—she’s resilient in a way that feels rooted in trauma and grief. She’s trying to figure out who she is when everything that used to define her—money, privilege, family—is either gone or poisoned. She isn’t chasing a romantic partner. She’s chasing peace. She wants to feel safe, and she wants to believe that she’s more than the sins of her father. Brady, on the other hand, begins the book certain of his own moral compass and ends up questioning everything. His understanding of right and wrong is challenged, not just by Angela, but by the reality that people—especially parents—aren’t as clean-cut as we want them to be.

There are a few weaknesses in the book, and they mostly come down to pacing and believability. For a story that hinges on danger—Angela turning on a powerful mafia boss and then living in hiding—there’s surprisingly little tension around her being found. No shadowy figures lurking in alleys. No phone calls in the night. Her father’s presence is more theoretical than felt, which undermines the sense of urgency. And while I appreciated that this wasn’t a violence-heavy book, it also felt like some of the stakes were left on the table. When Brady eventually confronts Angela’s father, the moment passes with a surprising amount of calm, considering the gravity of what’s at stake. I expected more of a reckoning—some kind of high-stakes showdown. Instead, the story wraps up more like a compromise.

And yet, for all that, the emotional weight of the story holds. Angela and Brady both wrestle with generational guilt, moral ambiguity, and the idea that love—real love—can’t survive without truth. They get it wrong. A lot. They hurt each other. But they also reach for healing, and their romance feels earned because of it. One of the most poignant moments comes late in the book, when Angela admits that she knows she’s going to forgive Brady, even though he’s betrayed her trust. Not because he deserves it in that moment, but because she can feel that he’s becoming someone who might. It’s not neat. It’s not fairytale. But it’s real.

Calcara’s writing shines when she lets her characters be messy. There’s a softness to the way she explores trust and fear, especially in scenes involving family—both biological and chosen. Brady’s relationship with his mom is especially lovely, and the inclusion of the 9/11 subplot, while unexpected, is handled with care and gives the book added depth. It reminded me that grief, especially grief connected to national tragedy, is not always loud or cinematic. Sometimes it’s just a scar you carry into every relationship you try to build.

By the time the book ends, there’s closure, but also room to imagine what comes next. The happily-ever-after isn’t perfect, and the road ahead isn’t easy—but it feels honest. And in a story about lies, that’s no small thing.

A Favor Owed isn’t flashy. It’s not packed with mafia tropes or romanticized danger. What it offers instead is quieter, more vulnerable, and—at times—more powerful: a story about two people trying to figure out if they can love each other when neither one of them has ever truly been safe. It’s about survival, reinvention, and the long, hard road toward healing. And for that, it’s worth reading.

3+. I found that this book read a little too young for my tastes. It's a good story with solid writing and interesting characters, but just not quite to my preference.



I was given an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Entangled for the advance reader copy. These opinions are my own.

A Favor Owed is a unique take on a mafia romance. The majority of it is set far from the mafia. Angela Pines is the daughter of a mob boss in New York. She has changed her name and is hiding in California while attending law school there. And fellow student Brady seems like the quintessential nice boy next door. But he has his own secrets.

I enjoyed that the story focused on a strong woman and the author deliberately wanted to break the mold of the stereotypes for how women in the genre are frequently portrayed. And I really liked Angela.

I appreciated the pace at which Brady's secrets were revealed. And I thought the multiple points of view were used quite well. But I still wanted more depth to their relationship. Similarly, while I love found family, I didn't find it quite as believable here.

I got a strong feeling that the author likes New York and hates California. That not only was true of the main characters, but also through the descriptions. The California desert is shown as hot and awful with constant wildfire smoke for months. It was a bit much. But I did find the description of the 9/11 memorial incredibly moving and liked the portrayal of so much of New York.

Rounded up to 4 stars

Woah. I flew through this book! It was sweet, addictive, and impossible to put down. The story had me hooked from the start, with a twisty setup, layered characters, and a romance that made my heart ache in the best way.

Angela is such a standout lead! She is strong, smart, and full of heart. Watching her try to outrun her mob-princess past and rebuild her life with purpose was genuinely moving. And Brady? Ugh, that charming disaster. I loved him even when I wanted to shake him. His banter, his growth, his mess. He felt real and raw in a way that really worked.

Their love story is intense and messy and beautiful, and while the plot does ask for a little suspension of disbelief here and there, I honestly didn’t care. I was all in for the drama, the tension, the swoon. And the ending? Totally satisfying.

Big thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!