Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ALC!

A mafia rom-com where she's the mob boss - yes, please. This book was just as fun as it sounds.

I loved the author's wit and humor that we got in abundance through her characters and her writing, I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading this. I don't think I have ever read a mafia rom-com, so it was really refreshing to have these dark themes in a lighter, more comedic setting.

Vanessa was so badass. I loved how despite being this feared mob boss, she still had a soft side that she saved only for her family and eventually, for Nate. It was clear she had a lot on her plate and it made me happy to see her get her happy ending with a partner to share the load (but boy what a journey to get there!!)

Nate was such a dork, but he was incredibly lovable and was so down bad for Vanessa. I really enjoyed seeing the way he grew throughout this book and come to accept (and even embrace) the life that Vanessa lived.

This audiobook had me kicking my feet and giddy the entire time. It's so engaging and had me on the edge of my seat. The narrators brought Nate and Vanessa to life perfectly. If you like rom-coms and mafia romance, please pick this book up. It's such a refreshing read - she's the mob and he's a math teacher who is down so bad for her. This book is also so funny and action packed.

Cannot wait for the next book in this series!!

Debut Novel that shows Kath Richards has an excellent career ahead. This book was the fun I was looking for. Vanessa is the head of the Morelli mafia family as well as her father's company after he passes. She is the first female leader and she is the strong FMC that I love to see who can also show a different side of herself behind closed doors. She is not afraid to do what it takes to protect her family.

Nate was the perfect nerdy math teacher which Vanessa meets when trying to bride him. While Vanessa and him are complete opposites, they fit and it feels so natural. This book gives you the banter you want and there were moments with Nate that had me laughing out loud which in turn made my dogs look at me like I lost my mind. Nate has an "ugly dog" which makes me just love him more, and animal lovers is an easy way to my heart.

Tim Paige and Kelsey Navarro Foster did a wonderful job of bringing the story to life.

Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the advanced listener copy, my opinions are my own.

3.5 stars rounded up!

I've never read a mafia romance, let alone a mafia romcom!

This was fun. It was engaging and enjoyable. Was it the best thing I've ever read? No. But it was far from the worst!

I really loved how we see Vanessa as this strong mob boss who runs this huge company and empire, but we also see her as a human, craving that person to take care of her as she takes care of everyone else. This is so real and so relateable!

This is a great escape romcom to enjoy without taking it too seriously. Which is exactly what we all need from time to time!

Thank you NetGalley, Tantor Audio and Kath Richards for an advance listen of this audiobook for an honest review.

I had so much fun listening to this audiobook! I listened to it all in one day! Is it possible to mix a mafia book with humor? Yes! Yes, it is! Kath Richards delivered a well written, funny book based around a mafia family. The head of the mafia is a woman! This story grabbed me from the first sentence! There’s also plenty of heart, emotion in conflict in this well written story.
Vanessa is head of the Morelli Crime family and also runs their construction company. She goes on a date with her nephew’s math teacher and everything goes to crap from there. I absolutely loved Vanessa and Nate in this gender kind of role reversal where Vanessa is the tough one and Nate is the more tender half of the couple. The author did this in a way that it totally works. I absolutely love Nate. These two have great sexual chemistry. In the beginning it was more enemies to lovers but Nate had always been smitten with her. These two have to overcome some big obstacles to get together. The journey was definitely so much fun to listen to. I enjoyed other members of this family. So many personalities. The author and the narrators did a great job bringing these out in the audiobook.

There’s also a little bit of mystery in this unusual and unique mafia rom com. The narrators (Tim Paige and Kelsey Navarro Foster) bringing this story to life were icing on the cake! I am dying to listen to the next book in the series! If you are looking for a fun, steamy summer read and some laughs—look no further! I received this book from Tantor Audio and Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Tantor Media for a chance to read an ALC of this book! 🖤

3⭐️ There's something delectable about the FMC being the one in the mafia! |
tropes: mafia romance, forced proximity, forbidden love | medium steam | audio

Overall Thoughts 💭:
There was a lot to like about this book! I enjoyed Vanessa and Nate as characters. I liked that while Vanessa was blood thirsty, she didn't shy away from the realities that her 'family business' was one where she did kill people, and it didn't make her evil. I liked the twist of her being the one in the mafia, using it as the MMC, but this made it a lot more interesting. Nate was charming, and I rooted for him and Vanessa! I liked how realistic his reactions to her being in the mafia were and how he slowly came to terms with things. The subplot revolved around solving the current chaos in their organization was okay. It added the necessary tension to the other marriage subplot and gave real stakes to the situation. However, trying to figure out the mystery wasn't intriguing to me. Nor was Nate looking for a husband for Vanessa. The slow-burning romance between Vanessa and NAte was so good that I wish the actual plot was as good.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW:
Story: 4 stars Narration: 5 stars Overall: 4 stars

A Love Most Fatal is a delightful mafia romantic comedy with elements of mystery and suspense. Vanessa and Nate first meet at his school. After a date goes awry, Vanessa starts protecting Nate. Their relationship from this point forward is a slow burn romance. The banter between the two was quite hilarious. It was wonderful to see Nate’s transformation. The connection and chemistry between the two was electric.
The dual narration by Kelsey Navarro Foster and Tim Paige was extraordinary. Ms. Foster was marvelous as the strong sassy beautiful tough Vanessa. Tim Paige was divine as Nate. His hesitancy, happiness and love were all clearly voiced. They brought this story to life wonderfully.
I highly recommend listening to this audiobook.

***** NOT YET RELEASED! LOOK FOR IT ON 7/8/2025!! ****

Mafia Crime Boss? ✔️
Beautiful woman? ✔️
Protection Details? ✔️
Crazy sisters and family that will do ANYTHING to protect each other? ✔️
Nerdy teacher that’s a bit hunky? ✔️

Plus, add in that one of my best friends growing up is a Morelli ?? ✔️

How could I possibly pass this one up???? I couldn’t!!
So, maybe they’ll have to make some offers that can’t be refused!! 🤣

This one had me cracking up within the first few minutes of listening to it!
So, if you want something that will make you laugh out loud 😹, and then sob in the next breath (well, not really, but maybe just a little bit sad…) then…look no further!

This one has it all! A bit of sass! A bit of nerds! A bit of kick-ass! A bit of swoon-y love💗!!
And a whole lotta mafia crime bosses, enforcers, killers, bone-breakers, as well as wanna-be’s!

Vanessa is the middle sister (of three), but she is the one who was ‘prepared’ for the role when her father died. Although they have a legitimate construction business, they also have a whole lot more… and the ‘whole lot more’ is what will have you laughing and tearing up! Her older sister is the ‘lawyer’ and her younger sister is the ‘enforcer’… and together, with their Mom, well, they just make up the whole package!!

This is book #1, from what I’ve read, and I am so looking forward to reading more on the Morelli’s and all of their antics!

5+ big, fat, sturdy, mafioso 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟✨✨✨✨✨💫💫💫💫💫 for me!

#ALoveMostFatal by @KathRichards and narrated beautifully by @Tim Paige and @KelseyNavarroFoster.


*** RELEASE DATE IS COMING SOON ON JULY 8, 2025 !! ***
***SO LOOK 👀 FOR IT ON SHELVES SOON!!!!! ***

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #TantorAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

You can find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Insta @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

A Love Most Fatal was I think actually my first true "mafia" book, as well as my introduction to Kath Richards's work, so I really wasn't sure what to expect. In addition to the ALC, I did also do immersive reading along with the ebook, and found the experience of the story, as well as the audio to be quite an enjoyable experience overall. The narrators brought strong, distinct energy to the leads and a twist on the genre that I thoroughly enjoyed! I do love strong FMCs and this book is definitely chalked full of them!

This is both a dual POV, as well as dual audio narrated by Tim Paige and Kelsey Navarro Foster, two voices that I found very well-suited to their respective characters. Tim, who’s long been a favourite of mine, brought a quiet intensity to Nate which made him endearing, and almost...I don't want to say a cinnamon roll, maybe closer to a golden retriever type energy. Personally I think he was very well suited to this kind of insta-lust/love, he falls first type of energy that Nate embodied. Of note, he also did a really great job with a Russian accent for one of the side characters with subtlety and ease. It was never over-the-top or jarring, just present enough to feel believable.

Kelsey brought both strength and softness to Vanessa, balancing the complicated energy of a Mafia heiress with emotional vulnerability. The only thing I noticed was a bit of inconsistency with accents, was that Kelsey didn’t use the same Russian accent that Tim did for the aforementioned character, which didn’t confuse me but did break immersion slightly (not a complaint necessarily, but I do think worthy of note).

I found the pacing to be smooth even at 1.5x (my usual listening speed), and both voices held up well with no warping or loss of tone, and no noticeable difference between the narrators (something not all narrators manage)! There were a couple very minor production quirks (slightly muffled mic positioning in a few spots), but nothing that took me out of the story in a major way. Overall, transitions between POVs were clean and felt very natural. I stayed fully engaged from beginning to end. I actually listened to this all in one day (it completely distracted me from adulting. No regrets.)

I would say this is a lighter take on the Mafia romance genre, and I was surprised, pleasantly so, to see a woman leading the family. Vanessa was powerful without being cold, and her dynamic with Nate had that slow-building mutual trust vibe I really enjoy.

The story did start off feeling a little trope-heavy, for example Vanessa was cast almost too aggressively in the “masculine” role at first (ie when she goes to him room, only for him to crack it open to reveal a sliver of his shoulder etc.). It felt almost as though there were moments that the author wanted to shoehorn situations into classic genre trope, but that softened as the story progressed (probably not of note to most readers and it didn't bother me, but something I did notice several times). Both characters grew into more three dimensional versions of themselves, which made their relationship feel more authentic.

Shall we talk spice? Yes, it's there! While there aren't many, I appreciate that the intimate scenes were perfectly timed and emotionally grounded, it definitely felt more like a “spice that supports the plot” than "gratuitous" smut. The balance between tension and tenderness was really well done, especially in audio.

I wouldn’t say I was blindsided by any twists, the ending did keep me on edge, and some family-related losses tugged at my heart. It was fairly predictable in what was happening, and where we were headed. I loved that the themes of loyalty, identity, and family (both biological, as well as found) ran strong throughout.

This story was made for audio, as at least for these narrators at the very least. The performances added personality, nuance, and depth, particularly in scenes of internal struggle or quiet connection. While the world-building wasn’t overly complex, it held up well enough to keep me listening. If you enjoy audiobooks and like the idea of a Mafia romance that centres on powerful women and emotional restraint, I’d definitely recommend listening to this one over reading.

I’m absolutely planning to continue with the series and very much looking forward to A Love Most Brutal. I can’t wait to see where these powerful women take us, their family and their business next. While it wasn’t without a few flaws, A Love Most Fatal gave me an engaging story, compelling characters, and a refreshing genre reversal, all wrapped in smooth, well-delivered narration.

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for this opportunity!

⭐️ thank you sm to netgalley for the audio arc !!! ⭐️

I haven’t read a mafia romance in YEARRRRRS and this audiobook was the perfect intro back into that. I love that the mafia boss in this book was the woman and not the man for a change.

We follow Vanessa, head mafioso of her families business, & Nick, her nephews teacher, who meet after a fender bender, and they ends up fake dating for an event. We follow their relationship from there as Nick slowly unveils Vanessa’s life and we get a deeper look into the Morelli family business.

I enjoyed the family vibes and a little mystery. This book was super enjoyable and I can’t wait to continue the series. The audio narrators also did a great job with this one. It was dual narration and dual POV, which was great for the story.

⭐ (Story) 5
⭐ (Narrator) 4.5
🌶️ 2
🥵 Spicy Chapters: 27, 29, 32
📚 Tropes/Themes: Mafia romance, romcom, forbidden relationship, just once, he falls first and harder, math teacher X Mafia boss
👀 Dual POV 1st person
🎙️ Dual narration (Tim Paige & Kelsey Navarro Foster)
⏰ Approx 8 hours
🛍️ Available: 7/8

💬 I didn't know how much I needed this reread in my life! I had the honor of reading this book as an ARC last year, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook now. Seriously, it's so good. I copy/pasted my previous review here because seriously this book is FABULOUS.
⭐⭐⭐
My previous review:

I had the opportunity to read this book as an advance copy, which initially I had passed on. However a fellow bookworm friend of mine convinced me to read it and I’m so glad she did. I ATE THIS BOOK UP. I read it in one day because it was so good. I was barely able to put it down to make dinner, and then immediately snatched it back up when we finished eating.

It’s like if that BSB song “As Long As You Love Me” was a hilarious mafia novel then it would be A Love Most Fatal. The writing is so well done and the characters are wonderfully complex. The story line is SO FUNNY and unique but also literally perfect. It had me laughing, kicking my feet, squealing, curling my toes and biting my nails. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

⭐⭐⭐

As for my audiobook review: it's still literal perfection. I forgot how much I loved Nate's neediness and lack of boundaries with his bestie, the interviews 🤣, the tension and chemistry between the two, Ranger, Mary and just so much more.

The narrators were just fabulous, doing an incredible job bringing the subtleties and emotions to life. Idk I'm running out of adjectives for how satisfying this book was, but I almost think listening to it was better than reading it lol. I plowed through it in about 2.5 days because I just couldn't turn it off. (Normally audiobooks take me a week+ to finish)

Also now I'm feral thinking about how much I need Mary's book 🤣

5⭐️
2.5 🌶️
4🎧

Ummmmm please go read or listen to this book. Like, I’m deceased and never recover. I fear this will be the high I chase from here on out.

Kath Richard’s debut novel not only is a fun twist on mafia romance, with the FMC being the mafia Don, but she also showcases an MMC who is so relatable, it hurts.

If you love Mafia Romance, Rom-Coms, golden retriever MMC, and medium angst, this is your book. The narrators did AMAZING and it was a pleasure to listen to.

Thank you, Tantor Audio and NetGalley for this ALC! While the book was free to me, the opinions are all my own.

Thank you NetGalley, Tantor Audio and Kath Richards for the opportunity to listen and review this book.
This is narrated in dual by Tim Paige & Kelsey Navarro

What I loved about this story was that Nate wasn’t your typical Mafia bad boy. He was a nerdy maths teacher, puked at the sight of blood and vomit, hid behind her when things got scary and whimpered and begged for his life BUT he can “eat out” like a champ, wants to be a house-husband and look after the kids, showers her with so much love and kindness, WASHES her hair in the shower, movie nights under the blanket, gosh he is such a cutie pie.

It was such a refreshing change to see the FMC be the bada$$ for a change but still keep her feminine traits about her as well, the maternal instincts with her niece and nephew etc. Showed she was still human and life affected her just like any normal non-Mafia person.

I had my suspicions from the start who the culprit was, stealing, unaliving her men and destroying property etc, he just irked me the wrong way from the start and I really didn’t like him. Glad he got what he deserved.

This was a pretty good mafia rom-com and I would recommend this if you fancy something lighthearted but with a touch of the mafia style romance.

“Why is she so pretty when she’s yelling at me?” Gaaahhh so blooming cute.

I am looking forward to book 2, I loved Mary in book 1 and am intrigued to see how it goes with her and Maksim.

Loved this book the first time I read it on its initial release, the characters are fun, and the situations that the author puts them in is somehow both wholesome and sweet while also being in near extreme danger the entire time. I found that Richards is able to balance the extreme risk of mafia with the wholesome cute vibe of a romcom, so truly the best of both worlds.

The narrators do a fantastic job of bringing this story to life even further, I love the dual narration and the narrators own takes on the characters compared to my own reading.

The narrators were very good I have listened to them a few times and they are both very easy and enjoyable to listen to.
It is an easy listen and not to much effort needs to be put in to listen to it.

Okie there was spice how ever the spice wasn't spicing if you get my drift it was a bit just 'blahhh'. if I'm honest it might aswel been a fade to black because the chemistry just wasn't there.
There wasn't passion or burning need it just was a bit 'wham bam thank you mam'

I loved the idea of a strong female and a male that was reliant on her for protection i think that was great we need more books like it!

id give this a 3.5 only because i needed to laugh and the chemistry needed improving

𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Sometimes I want a true, strong, independent woman that is the boss! Well, "A Love Most Fatal" will give you that and more. Vanessa is the CEO of Morelli Construction, and she is also the mafia boss! Yes, she's a bad b*tch! It's going well; business is booming, and the city's criminals fear and respect her. Or at least she thought they did, before shipments start disappearing, construction sites blow up, and—most annoying of all—the older women lay on the pressure for her to marry and make an heir. Vanessa goes on an ill-advised date with her godson's math teacher that goes horribly wrong; she brings him under her protection while she figures out who's sabotaging her operation.

Once I started this book, I couldn't stop! I was hooked and literally finished this book in 1.5 days! I love its dual POV, and we get Nate's POV. He is a true gentleman and knew what he wanted and was willing to fight for it.

The audiobook is dual narrated by Tim Paige and Kelsey Navarro Foster. They both did a good job, easy to listen to and also understand. I listened at 2x speed.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Tantor Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I've recently learned Dark RomComs are my thing, and Kath Richards delivers said thing in her debut novel, A Love Most Fatal, the first in her Morelli family Mafia RomCom series. The darker themes mixed with the comedy tickle my emotional fancy and funny bone in ways I never imagined possible, but here we are and I absolutely love it.

In A Love Most Fatal, we meet Vanessa and Nate, two people forced together after a violent night out puts them in danger. Vanessa, Boss of the Morelli Family Mafia, must juggle her "Family" duties, AKA finding a husband, as she searches for and attempts to shield bumbling, anxious math teacher Nate from the unknown threat. To keep him busy, Vanessa enlists Nate to interview potential matrimonial candidates on her behalf. Hilarity ensues. I cannot express how many times I giggled through the husband interviews and Nate's narration. It was comedy and entertainment gold!

The characters and their development throughout the book really made it what it was, though. As the Boss, Vanessa is molded to have a tough, no nonsense exterior, showing very little emotion. She is a powerful force, one with a focus on Family and maintaining their safety at all costs. Nate is the opposite - anxious and nerdy beneath a soft exterior. He's funny and endearing, quirky and nerdy, and has exceptional respect for women. Put the two together and things begin to change. Slowly but surely, they both evolve, softening and hardening in all the right places. And that's just two of the several characters in the Morelli universe!

In addition to the comedy, drama, and slow burn, the Family dynamics were my favorite. The sisters are so close and the relationships between the Family are so well written that I absolutely fell in love with them.
Whether it's shenanigans or serious, they always support each other. I'm so excited to explore the Family in more detail in Richards' next book!

Finally, the narrator’s were both perfect for their roles. Both gave incredible performances, truly embodying their respective characters. They were animated in their deliveries and it really brought the story to life!

When the hot Italian mafia boss needs a husband… and accidentally finds her cinnamon roll soulmate 😭❤️

Vanessa runs the Boston mafia with an iron fist—but now it’s time to find a husband. Enter Nate: a dorky, sweet middle school math teacher who stumbles into her world by accident (and becomes her fake date to a wedding). She never plans to see him again… until the night ends in chaos and he has to stay in her very dangerous house all summer long. For his safety, of course. 👀

Nate is the greenest of green flags—the ultimate golden retriever, cinnamon roll, husband material. He’s needy. He’s whimpering. He’s cooking her breakfast while she handles enemies with a bulletproof stare. 🥵🍳📈

And Vanessa? She’s a fierce, family-first mafia queen who would burn the world down for her loved ones—and maybe this soft-spoken math nerd, too. A lover of women’s wrongs, with a heart hidden under layers of power and Prada. 💅❤️

🎧 Dual narration by Tim Paige & Kelsey Navarro Foster = chef’s kiss performance!

If you love:
💘 Opposites attract
🔫 Mafia x cinnamon roll dynamics
💍 Slow burn tension
🏠 Forced proximity
🍝 Soft nerds falling HARD for scary women

3.75 stars!

I heard about this book a while ago so I quickly scooped it up when I saw the audio ARC! I was a little let down but to be fair all the things I didn't like were matters of personal preference so I still recommend this.

Vanessa has little time to mourn the death of her father as she quickly ascends to head of the Morelli Crime Family and must manage all of her father's projects and alliances while keeping her family safe and looking for an advantageous marriage. After an awkward series of meetings, Vanessa hires Nate, a morally upright grade-school teacher, to interview the most dangerous men in the city for her hands, all while he lives in her home and they slowly get closer.

Now, I've never read a standard mafia boss romance but I feel confident that this is much more up my alley. I liked Vanessa and Nate a lot, and their little domestic moments were so cute I wanted to explode. The B-plot is super predictable but that's fine; I've said before that I don't have super high expectations for romance book B-plots. I think the cast of characters outside the main couple are also really solid and lovable when they're supposed to be. My main issue was probably the smut scenes, which weren't terrible but were not to my taste. I also lowkey was hoping with the genderbent mafia boss thing that Vanessa would be a little more dominating in the bedroom but alas...one day we'll get a straight romance with femdom and I will be very happy that day. I liked the narrators overall, but the male narrator doing Vanessa's voice in the smut scene...it was a little much lol.

What can I say, I had fun and I am fully behind having more female mafia boss romances!

Thank you to Kath Richards and Tantor Audio for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

Happy reading!

SO FKIN GOOOOOD!!! I loved this book so much, and the narration?!!??! Delicious. I loved this so much, holy cow.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this audio ARC.

I was so excited when I found out I was approved for this! I loved it so much.

A mafia rom-com about a woman mob boss and a middle school math teacher mmc with a weak stomach. Richards did an excellent job conveying her characters and the situation they were in. The mmc was a pathetic, down bad, whimpering man for his girl. The fmc, at first, was simply trying to preserve the business her father left behind and prove that she was the person to do it. She did not have her sights set on a love match, she just needed a husband that would not try to take over and allow her to lead.

Will be recommending this!!