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!

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!