Thank you Entangled publishing for the ARC!

I had higher expectations for this one considering she was a mafia princess on the run from her father. I felt like it was very surface level. The romance was cute but everything else was off. Angie’s ‘secret’ identity wasn’t a good one and trusting a man who is from NY, seems to know WAY too much about her, and admits he has a huge secret that will ruin them didn’t make her run for the hills… her mafia father was NOT a good one. He basically let her do what she did and just accepted it. There could have been more here.

FREAKING LOVED IT!!!! Brady and Angela's story is soooo good. ok so backing up...I signed up for this ARC thinking he'll yea another bad ass mafia man...yea nope...I mean it has mafia in it but not how you expect..at all. Right out the gate it held my interest I could not wait for breaks and my lunch hour to jump back in. Follow spunky Angela live her life the way she wants to all while trying not to fall for HOT irish (ginger) yes sir!! Brady.

A mafia daughter escapes the world to become a law student under another name, where she meets an ex-firefighter who is looking to get close to her. Despite her initial hesitations, she finds herself falling. I thought the chemistry between Brady and Angie was sweet. They were both hiding parts of who they were, and made some dumb decisions along the way. The book focused on the characters' developing relationship and past traumas. I wish there would have been a bit more mafia parts. I did enjoy that it wasn't a violent mafia book. Thanks to Entangled Publishing for an ARC of this book. My opinion is my own.

It’s been a while since I was hooked up by a book that doesn’t involve magic or preternatural creatures, but this did it.
I know it’s listed as Mafia, but if you expect to read about violence, gunshots or alpha men, just don’t. There are no such things.
But it’s a story about female empowerment, about escaping a life that’s not for you even though it’s risky, about love overcoming fear.

I was touched even by the acknowledgment, I am Italian and I’ve seen how the italians women are depicted when talking about mafia. It’s so refreshing and empowering to read about a different point of view.

Thank you so much Marisa.

Thank you Marisa Calcara and Entangled Publishing for giving me this ARC copy to read.

2.5
I was not too sure what to expect from A Favor Owed, but unfortunately it did fall a bit flat to me. I thought the premise was interesting and the plot was the best part, however for being in the situation Angela found herself to be in, she was not hiding her past very well. I felt like it had a lot of potential, but thought that the ending wrapped up a bit too nicely for the high stakes situation.

As for the romance, I really struggled to like Brady’s character. I enjoyed Angela’s and found myself rooting for her success, but Brady definitely rubbed me the wrong way with how he spoke about her owing him in the first few chapters. I thought they were cute together and had good chemistry, but again for as high of stakes as the situation presented itself to be, I felt like everything was rushed.

Overall, I think this story has potential. The pacing of the plot as well as the romance kind of threw me off and reduced some of the meaning behind the story. I really enjoyed Angela. She was really the one piece of the book I enjoyed. I appreciate her desire to do better and I liked her intelligence. Again I think I would have enjoyed this more if the pacing was better and the ending was not as clean. It just took away from her story.

Thank you Entangled and Netgalley for an earc. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and @EntangledInsiders for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Favor Owed by Marisa Calcara is a really solid debut that kept me hooked from start to finish. Angela Pines and Brady McDaniels are two first-year law students who couldn’t be more different, but somehow have a lot more in common than they realize. Both are trying to avoid falling for the other, both have secrets, and both moved to California for the same reason. The tension between them is off the charts!

Brady is a mix of sweet, flawed, and totally lovable. He makes mistakes, but he’s patient with Angela, pushes her out of her comfort zone, and the banter between them? So good. I loved watching him challenge her—and yes, there’s definitely a bit of the “good guy with a wild side” vibe happening.

Then there’s Angela, who is carrying a ton of emotional weight that isn’t even hers to carry. She’s guarded, and I totally related to that. Watching her slowly open up to Brady was one of the best parts of the story, and I appreciated how real her journey felt.

This book has all the right ingredients: great chemistry, emotional depth, and just enough drama to keep you turning the pages. If you’re looking for an intro to mafia/mob stories, this is a great place to start.

#NetGalley, #EntangledInsiders, #AFavorOwed, #MarisaCalcara

I absolutely loved A Favor Owed by Marisa Calcará! As a debut, it blew me away—I couldn’t put it down. Angela and Brady’s chemistry is off the charts, and their bickering had me smiling the whole way through. The tension, the banter, the slow-burn romance… it was everything I want in a rom-com. Can’t wait to read whatever Marisa writes next!

Reading the blurb for this book I was expecting the mafia to play a big role in the storyline of the book and that really wasn't the case. It played more of an "off the pages" roles than on the pages. It's a driving force being a lot of what happens in the book, but the book isn't a mafia romance at all. I would almost consider it more of a college romance. The chemistry between the main characters was good. The plot was interesting and kept my attention. It was a quick read; I finished it in about two days.
I am thankful to be given an opportunity to given a copy of the book in exchange for my thoughts.

I wasn't sure at first if I would like this book. I found the beginning slightly slow. But I was pleasantly surprised when the pace picked up and I immediately fell in love with the characters. This is a great slow burn with some really nice banter. Overall I enjoyed the story and I would definitely read more books by this author.

Angela has moved across the country for law school on a scholarship. She has her own apartment, a steady job, and is making it on her own. But will the first guy she falls for be the one to bring her fully to the freedom she craves, or will he bring her right back to her old life?

I loved this book. Every time I had to put this book down, I looked forward to the next time I could pick it up. While this is an easy read, there is so many moving parts to the story, and with every new chapter came new deceit. I do wish that the internal conflicts of the main characters regarding their relationship was more intense. I would have liked to have seen them struggle more about what they felt for each other, and have the book be more of a slow burn.

I hope the author continues to write more books, I look forward to reading more.

Thank you Entangled Publishing for the ARC opportunity. This review has been left voluntarily.

This one was a quick and easy read. It was fast paced, dual POV and drama filled. I really found the main characters Angela and Brady interesting and I enjoyed the plot. There was some good spice but I felt there was a plothole in the storyline. BUT, I loved the slow burn and the banter! It was super enjoyable.

Thank you Entangled for this ARC :) 3.5 Stars!

Okay but I loved this?

Hear me out.. HOT, and I mean HOT fireman who’d do anything to save his family, even maybe fall for the one girl he can’t fall for??

Okay so look, Brady is like the epitome of what we all picture when we think FDNY.. he’s sexy, has an amazing sense of humor, cocky-ish but mostly confident, oh…and he’s in law school?

Entangled publishing you did it again. Thanks for giving me the chance to read and review this book!

This book was okayy, 2.5 stars. I will admit that I expected a more typical mafia romance, but that's not what this was, so there wasn't a lot of action. I liked Angela and Brady's chemistry, but considering his attitude at the start, thinking she "owed him" for something, I was not a bit fan of Brady and wasn't really rooting for them to be together. Considering that it's marketed as having a "struggling law student" and a "firefighter" fall in love, I didn't expect him to be a law student as well, but rather a firefighter in the small town that she ended up with. I just felt like him being a firefighter didn't really add much to the story.

Angela was meant to be a very intelligent law student, but then you're telling me that she decided to use a fake name, chosen with the whole purpose of not being found by her family, which was Angela Pines, when her actual name is Angelina Pini??? This girl was really lacking imagination... And I get that she wants to help victims of human trafficking, because of what her dad has been doing, but if you are trying to lie low as it has only been a few months since you betrayed him and his whole operation got ruined, then maybe you would stay clear of those kind of cases for a bit??? I guess not... She also forgave Brady waaaay too easily, and even if he was justified in his actions, I just don't think that's the best way to start a relationship... I would have liked to see her making him grovel for a while! He really should have.

*Side note: I think I really don't understand how the education system works in the States because how was he a firefighter and then got into law school no problem? And her background? Idk I was just confused about the whole thing, but that's a me issue!*

Overall, the story had potential, and it was a quick read, but I felt like the characters lacked some depth and it all fell a little bit flat.

Thank you to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, LLC, and Marisa Calcara for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was actually my first mafia romance but boy I loved it. Our FMC Angela, a former mafia princess, who has a heart of gold is absolutely everything I wanted her to be and more and I found her so relatable in a way. The story has a delicious slow burn romance and plenty of heart. Would absolutely recommend this to any romance girly.

Thank you Entangled Publishing for this ARC!
So much drama...
The daughter of a Mafia leader, Angela, is on the run after snitching on her dad. She ends up at a law school in California where she meets the ever charming Brady.
Brady has some secrets himself and will do anything to keep his family safe. Even if it means turning in his new love interest, the mafia princess.
This book is super easy to read and follow. It's fast paced and a very quick read. It has the POV of both Angela and Brady, so if you love dual POV from both love interests, check this one out.

Rounding up to 3 stars

A Favor Owed is a quick and easy read that follows the story of Angela and Brady.

When we first meet up with Angela, we see a  girl who's on the run. Law student by day, waitress by night, Angela just wants a fresh start. But, when Brady enters the picture, her world gets turned upside down...Enter Brady. Brady would do anything to save his family, even if it means getting close to a Mafia daughter. But as Brady gets closer to Angela, he discovers there's more to her than meets the eye.

Overall, I thought this was an okay read. I thought the plot was interesting and was intrigued by the characters. That being said, I had a love/hate relationship with Brady and Angela. Yes, they had some chemistry and spicy moments, but I felt like something was missing.  Like even though they were taking it slow, there needed to be more character development and more believable chemistry.

Some other issues I had were repetitiveness and plotholes. The repetitiveness was frustrating and had me thinking, enough already. And the plotholes...there were at least two instances that didn't make any sense, leaving me confused and scratching my head.

In the end, I feel like this is a book that will work for some, but not for others. And while this book had its share of positives such as spice, dual pov, and drama; it was lacking in others. 

Even though this book wasn't a 100% hit for me, I do think this author has potential and would be open to reading another book of hers in the future.

I thought it was a really cute story and an interesting take on a mafia romance then what you typically hear. I’ve never read a mafia romance before and I really liked this one. I thought the plot was really interesting and I really enjoyed the character development of both MCS were really really good and showed how much growth a person can have. Over all it’s just a really cute story that makes you fall in love with the characters

Thank you to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, and Marisa Calcara for this book.

I enjoyed reading Brady and Angela's story. Both of them went into the relationship knowing their secrets, once revealed, would put and end to any hopes of a future together.

As much as they both dry to put a damper of their emotions sparks fly and a fire ignites.

As the story progresses we learn just how much Brady and Angela are willing to give up to save the other.

Highly recommend.

2.5 ⭐️
This one didn’t do it for me. It seemed like there was a lot of potential but it didn’t get there. The relationship moved quickly but I didn’t really feel the emotions from the characters. There were no surprises anywhere, you know from the beginning exactly what will happen. The characters just really lacked depth and the storyline was pretty bland.

I really wanted to love A Favor Owed, but unfortunately, it fell short for me. While the premise was intriguing and had so much potential, the execution just didn’t deliver. I found it difficult to connect with the characters, who often felt one-dimensional and whose motivations weren’t fully developed. The pacing also felt uneven — slow in parts where the story needed momentum and rushed during key emotional moments that deserved more depth.

The romance itself, which should have been the highlight, didn’t feel earned, and some plot points felt more like conveniences than genuine character-driven choices. There were moments where the writing showed promise, but overall, the story didn’t hold my attention the way I hoped.

I appreciate the opportunity to read an early copy and can see how others might enjoy this if they’re looking for a lighter, surface-level read, but sadly, it just wasn’t for me.