The Mastermind
Mafia romance meets Formula 1 in this dark and addictive new book from Zara Cox for 2025
by Zara Cox
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Pub Date Jul 08 2025 | Archive Date Jul 08 2025
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Description
Ruthless Underboss. Clever Mastermind. Sworn Rival.
Just a handful of reasons why I should hate Cesare Salvatore, heir to the Salvatore Sicilian mafia throne. Other reasons? His insanely gorgeous face. How hot he looks in his Formula One race suit. The feral look in his eyes when he’s pounding his enemy into the ground… But as a Mancinelli, I abide by one family rule: Stay away from the Salvatores.
Betrayal. Forbidden Attraction. Vendetta Ignited.
Cesare believes there’s a traitor in his crew…put there by me. He’ll uncover the truth by any means, including blackmailing me into his bed. What he doesn’t know is I’ve crushed on him since high school; have craved his blood-stained hands on me since one mistake sparked a lust-hate relationship. Discovering he’s equally hot for me risks re-igniting a family vendetta and unearthing brutal decades old secrets many have been killed for. Can we stop before sparks turn to inferno? Because if it does? Forget Romeo & Juliet. Our forbidden attraction will destroy empires.
An enemies-to-lovers dark mafia story full of dark secrets, fast cars, filthy lust and deceit. Perfect for fans of Kylie Kent, Sadie Kincaid and Penelope Sky.
PRAISE FOR ZARA COX⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ 'Steamy, violent, full of betrayals and secrets, this is what mafia romance is made of' NetGalley
⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ 'The spice was abundant and the dirty talk was filthy 🥵' NetGalley
⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ 'Ate this up. Mafia and F1???? Ya I loved every moment of this.' NetGalley
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781836789499 |
| PRICE | £1.99 (GBP) |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Harpreet J, Reviewer
Ate this up. Mafia and F1???? Ya I loved every moment of this.
I loved the enemies to lovers, forbidden lovers, and family rivalry tropes in this book, and combine that with a chemistry between the mc's that was hot af?? I was heavily entertained and could not stop reading this book.
I loved how the characters got together and fought for their relationship. Also the dirty talk??? hehehe
Cannot wait to read more about the different characters in this world!
Thank you to Netgalley and the author and the publisher for an arc!
Elizabeth B, Reviewer
Mafia ✨and✨ F1?! I wasn’t sure how she was going to do it, but the way the two were intertwined actually made sense. One pushed the other forward right when I began to wonder when it would come back around. Super impressive because I was definitely skeptical 👏
Enemies to lovers, forbidden love, and a family rivalry to boot. Maddelena and Cesare’s chemistry is hot, hot, hot 🔥 from the moment they tangle as teens. Unfortunately, their families have a decades long feud separating them, which situates them as enemies even before birth. Forbidden is an understatement.
As adults, the two are put in each other’s paths on a regular basis, being part of the F1 world. Worse yet, some shady things have been happening on the track and now the legitimate side of the business and the underworld are colliding, bringing the two even closer. It’s no surprise when they end up in bed together, but their feelings certainly are.
The writing was so well done. It felt professional and flowed nicely. The spice was abundant and the dirty talk was filthy 🥵 Overall, very reminiscent of some of my favorite authors.
A few things I loved:
* The Sicilian pet names 🤍
* Obsessive, Protective MMC
* “I found forever here” 😭
* Big Italian families
* Sleeping walking confessions 💤
Like most mafia families, both sides have siblings galore, so I can’t wait to see who’s next. Rafa, Fist, and Sofiya have me very intrigued 👀
The Basics:
Mafia Don/F1 Driver 🏎️//Consigliere 💵
1st Person Dual POV
Book #1 in the “Mafia Wars” series, but can be read as a standalone
HEA 🖤
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review 🤍
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