From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken comes a new story in her Mafia Royals series…One of the first rules they give you when you’re undercover—never fall for the enemy.I didn’t just fall for the enemy.I became what I was supposed to hate.What’s worse: I fell in love with one.I live a double life, and both sides know it’s only a matter of time before I’m forced to … to choose.Rebirth through mafia blood.Or death at the hands of the very government I swore to protect.I have one more job before my time’s up.I just wish it was anything but babysitting a mafia princess who’s half my size but knows how to pack such a brutal punch I worry about my ability to have children.Tin’s small but terrifying.And I’m her new bodyguard while we all go on a much-needed vacation.I just have to stick to the plan.And remember rule number one.And stop kissing her.Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.Reviews for Mafia King:“I knew when I read the blurb I couldn’t wait to read it and it did not disappoint in the least. This was so good! I’d definitely recommend it.” – Give Me All the Books“Love me some Mafia Royal. Rachel Van Dyken has done it again! 5 star and a must read!” – Reads to Breathe“This is a well written flawless fast paced story, which is filled with angst, secrets, loyalty, engaging and relatable characters, and love, which all leads to a steamy and enjoyable all-consuming read.” – Wendy’s Book Blog“For a novella there was a lot packed into these pages. I never tire of these five families!” – Mom’s Guilty Pleasure“This novella is filled with love, friendships, angst, twists, secrets and humour and I am certain that like me, you’ll not want to put this story down once you’ve started reading it.” – Literary Lust
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I will grab and devour any story in Rachel Van Dyken’s Mafia Royals world no matter how short or long that story is. And that speaks volumes about this violent, explosive, dark, passionate and wonderful universe. Mafia King was just the next hit to fuel my obsession and there is no shame to admit that my craving is getting worse.
This is the story of Tank and Kartini. Tank has been straddling the thin line between FBI and the Five Mafia families for so long. Before he accepts his legacy as De Lange and leave law, he needs to do a final mission. And that involves the little fire called Kartini. And now Sergio Abandonato has given him the job of protecting his daughter when the full next generation is going to Mexico for a wedding vacation. Too many secrets. Too many emotions. Will they have a happy ending?
I was amazed how Rachel Van Dyken captured the full magic of mafia in this short novel. I am loving this next gen more than the original bosses and that’s saying something because they are legendary. The camaraderie among these cousins and their loved ones is just so powerful. The friendship. The loyalty. The good natured ribbing and the serious blood bound oaths. You can laugh and smile with their raucous conversations but you also can feel the strength and intensity of their connection.
Tank got into this family and now he is completely connected to them. His heart has a battle because he needs to protect this family and also play his role as FBI agent. But he has made up his mind for some time now and Kartini is one of the reasons. This girl..my heart was breaking for her. She was transformed overnight into this bitter, angry and sad princess who knows only to lash out and act out. No mafia princess is sweet and soft but she carries such an adorable and good heart behind all the tough wall. Tank was the one who broke down the wall and made her let out all the pent up aggression and frustration. What a man! Their happily ever after brought me to tears again. Tank and Kartini went from enemies to soulmates so beautifully. Expect all the fireworks and slow burn and emotions. And of course blood stained twists and turns. It won’t be mafia otherwise.
Mafia King by Rachel Van Dyken an intoxicating tale of heart-warming feels and nuclear hot chemistry. I am falling deeper for this world with each new story.
I reviewed an early copy voluntarily
What do you get when you mix a Mexican getaway and whole lot of forbidden attraction between two people who can’t stand each other? You get Mafia King. While this was a novella there was enough of story to feel connected to the character and get the full emotions.
Tank is an FBI agent but also but in charge of Kartini (Tiny) by her father. Tank is seven years older than Kartini and he has always stayed away from her at some points even treating her like a child. Kartini went through a traumatic experience and blames Tank for it, and has kept secrets from everyone. Tank and Tiny had a funny steamy banter of will they or not. This was a bit of a slow burn which I liked in novella, so the character build is easy connect with. Rachel Van Dyken focused on Tank and Tiny and story well while preparing for the next character story.
4.3 stars
This is an amazing series. Even though these are young characters, it isn’t a young romance. These characters are mature and it feels contemporary. I have been waiting for Tank’s story since he was first introduced, and even more so after I read Chase and Annie’s story. There was just something about the character and I was excited when I found out he would be getting his story told, even if just a novella.
This book was great and brought me back to the world that I love. These characters and their parents from the previous series are life. I love their interactions and humor. There is violence but it plays well with the lives of the characters. It wouldn’t make sense to have a mafia world without having that violence. I enjoyed Tank and the very fine line he was walking. I knew where, ultimately, his loyalties would lie and it was fun to see him make that decision.
This being a novella, it did lack some of the depth that I wanted as well as smooth transitions. I get it, this doesn’t have the space for that. However, it is a good introduction, as is the point of 1001 Dark Night stories, of this author, her writing style, and the amazing characters. Even though Tiny and Tank was missing that depth their story was still fierce and I know that I will get to see funny cameos in future books. Highly recommend anything that this author writes and this series (the parents series too)
Damn! Book 3.5 in the Mafia Royals Series packs a serious punch with it’s fast-paced, action-packed, hot af novella. The banter between all the Eagle Elite off-springs is to die for. Tank and Kartini’s journey has all the drama, action and steam that is expected in this mafia series. The bickering between the pair is my absolute fave. It was like foreplay for them and when sexy time came it was perfection. I was all up in my feels and highly recommend this one!! Blood in, No Out for me.
Mafia King is another great addition to Rachel van Dykens Mafia Royals series and 1001 Dark Nights.
Tank has been in the family since basically forever. He‘s an undercover FBI agent who was told to befriend the main guys in this series.
Kartini is one of the younger cousins. She has always been one of the shy ones and a daddys girl. But some events made her change.
I really enjoyed Tank and Kartini‘s story. It was an amazing way to start of the younger cousin‘s group in this series. Rachel‘s writing is supbar! Mafia King is a really good novella and it didn‘t lack anything.
4.5
5 Stars
When assigned to the one person he struggles to resist, Tank knows his last job for the FBI, could also be the last of his life.
Kartini is sarcastic, wild and the life of any party she wants to find. Overnight her world changed, but only a few people know how, or why.
Tank and Kartini have been circling one another for a long time, when finally they are forced together during a vacation to Mexico, everything will change, for both of them. The question is, where will Tank be when the dust settles?
This novella packs quite the punch. It is full of action, suspense, passion, love, family and some of the greatest banter in a story! In the end, readers will get a story they have been waiting for and wanted, while enjoying every minute of the ride!
Cara – Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
Mafia King by Rachel an Dyken is part of her Mafia Royals series, however, is a great introduction to her mafia royals world and a great treat to her loyal readers. Tank and Tiny were perfect together. An undercover FBI agent and a mafia princess, what can go wrong? He is set to protect her, so she is off-limits, right? And yet their chemistry is off the roof and they share great banter with each other. This was a quick, entertaining, steamy and fun read!
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
This novella was a great quick read. I loved getting to see Kartini for who she really is. She’s too old to be part of the young kids but too young to be part of the older kids until she isn’t. We finally got to learn about Tank and see how he fits into the Family. The book took a turn I loved and got excited about and was such an easy read.
This is #3.5 in this awesome series and is Kartini / Tin and Tank’s story. Tin is smart and tough, but something has changed her, and she is now closed off and guarded, and totally unlike herself. Tank is an FBI agent who is working undercover, and he is Tin’s new bodyguard, and he knows that nothing is as it seems. The sparks fly between these two and the chemistry is combustible and undeniable, but will Tin reveal her secrets and move on with her life? This is a well written flawless fast paced story, which is filled with angst, secrets, loyalty, engaging and relatable characters, and love, which all leads to a steamy and enjoyable all-consuming read. I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.
Mafia King is a novella in the Mafia Royals series by Rachel Van Dyken. You can read it as standalone but I highly recommend reading the the series so you are caught up with the mafia royalty.
Tank’s life changed when he went undercover for the FBI to get closer to the Five Families. He wanted to take them down while getting closer to the college-aged princes and princesses of the families. What he didn’t expect was to like them. Understand them. And wanting to protect them especially her. Kartini aka Tiny.
Kartini didn’t want or need a babysitter but he was always there. Tank De Lange. FBI informant. It wasn’t a secret. He was toeing the line and had to choose where his loyalty lied. She wanted to hate him for being the enemy. In truth, she had a crush on him. But , they could never be. Her father would kill him. Sergio was her hero but he would shoot Tank if he ever hurt his princess. Would the risk be worth it? One little kiss wouldn’t hurt, right?
Blood in, No out.
I have been waiting for the book and it was soooo worth the wait. Tiny is badass wrapped up in a delicate package. Tank is delicious and more than just a man living a double life. I can’t wait for the next book!
Quotes:
Two weeks in hell.
Two weeks with Satan’s mistress.
Two weeks left, and my fate with the mafia would be decided.
I just hoped I survived the cursed princess.
He always looked at me that way—with both annoyance and need.
“Cold-hearted Abandonato girls…” Maksim just shook his head. “The only females that terrify me.”
Izzy waved at him.
He paled and looked away.
I’m a long-time fan of Rachel Van Dyken. I found her in 2013 with her book, Ruin, and I haven’t looked back. Not long after that, I was sucked into her Eagle Elite series, and it’s been one of my most favorite series ever since then. (Seriously…pretty sure I border on obsession!) I’ve read every book in the series and the spin-off series, Mafia Royals, and I will continue to read every mafia book she writes until she writes them no more! The 1001 Dark Nights books are all written as an introduction to each author’s writing. And for those of us that are fans (or, in my case, die-hard fans), it’s a little bonus read. So Mafia King can absolutely be read as a standalone title. Fair warning, though: You’re likely to become obsessed like the rest of us!
This book was fabulous. I’ve loved Tank since we first were introduced to him, and I’ve been dying to know who he was and how he was connected to the five families. And now, I know! I didn’t expect Kartini’s story to be so heartbreaking, though. I knew she was a daddy’s girl (how could Sergio and Val’s daughter be anything but?!), and that something had changed for her––fundamentally changed her. However, as all of the girls have done, she didn’t let it keep her down. And when danger came calling yet again, she didn’t shrink from it. She confronted it head-on, not needing a knight in shining armor, but it was nice that he was there. While this is an enemies-to-lovers story, I’d argue that it’s also a friends-to-lovers story because that’s where they started. So a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers tale, I guess. Needless to say, these two had a lot to work through, a lot to fight through, to get to their HEA. Along the way, the rest of the gang provided the laugh-out-loud moments needed to keep this story from being all too heavy. And it’s written with all of the emotion we expect in an RVD mafia story tempered with the sarcastic wit that, again, keeps it from feeling overwhelmingly dark. And let’s not forget the steam!
It’s hard to go wrong with any Rachel Van Dyken book. If you’ve never read any of her work, this is a great place to start!
NICUnurse’s Rating: I give Mafia King by Rachel Van Dyken 5 out of 5 stars!
I can never get enough of RVD’s Mafia Royals Series and I loooved Tank and Tiny’s story! Tank is an undercover FBI agent and he is juggling his duty to the five mafia families and his job an an FBI agent. Soon he will have to make a decision on where is true loyalty is. In the meantime the families are taking a trip to Mexico to a private island they own for Serena and Junior’s wedding and Tank has been assigned the job of being Tiny’s bodyguard. The only thing is Tiny is not so Tiny at all. She may look Tiny but there is nothing else small about her. She is one fierce little firecracker. She tells it like is it and has a super sassy mouth on her and sure gave Tank run for his money at every turn. When they give in to each other the two have some super explosive chemistry that was undeniable!
RVD never disappoints with this series. Her writing in this one was on the lighter side but she also brought her signature humor and heat with it and I devoured it in one sitting. It was the perfect novella to tide us over for the epic stories that I know are coming in King and Maksim’s books later this year.
*Advanced reader copy received in exchange of an honest review.
MAFIA KING is a contemporary, new adult, erotic, Mafia, romance story line found in Rachel Van Dyken’s MAFIA ROYALS series, and the latest novella in the multi-authored 1001 Dark Nights series. This is undercover FBI agent Tank DeLange, and seventeen-year old, Mafia Princess Kartini ‘Tiny’ Abandonato’s story line. The MAFIA ROYALS is a spin off from the author’s Eagle Elite series. MAFIA KING can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order as Tank’s story builds throughout. Kartini is Sergio Abandonto’s daughter.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Tiny and Tank) MAFIA KING follows FBI agent Tank DeLange as he is tasked with protecting our story line heroine. The Mexican wedding of Junior and Serena finds Tank the assigned security to Tiny Abandonato but Tank is well aware that our heroine has a target on her back, a target placed when another FBI agent was murdered, one year before. Tank will quickly discover that the wedding has been infiltrated by outside sources, and isn’t a about to let Tiny out of his sight. A couple of attempts on her life push Tank to the edge, as he reconsiders his future with the FBI.
The relationship between Tank and Tiny has been building for several instalments but Tank’s original assignment was to get close the to Abandonato family, a family he was more familiar with, than most. Tiny had always had a crush on our story line hero but their age difference was going to be a problem, and Tiny’s struggle with what happened one year before, continued to haunt her every night. The $ex scene is intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
All of the previous couples, and story line characters in the Mafia Royals series play secondary and supporting characters. There is some flirty fun and camaraderie even in the face of danger and death,
MAFIA KING is a fast paced, quick novella length story. The premise is intriguing and engaging; the romance is seductive; the characters are determined, energetic and strong. Here’s hoping the author has something more planned for our story line couple.
Tank is in a predicament and he must finally choose between his job or the families. With this happening he is also tasked to be a bodyguard to the tempting and crazy Kartini. He knows this will be a very trying task but has no choice in the matter. Kartini is very much a daddy’s girl and seeing her dad is the ruthless Sergio, but one night when she is ultimately humiliated by the other kids, she must do something to survive that makes her a made woman. Things change for Tiny, and she is not the same person anymore and the only thing that gives her any feeling is messing with Tank. The attraction is there but so many stands in the way of what could be. Can Tank get through to Tiny to see what happened to her? Can Tiny ever find her peace? Will Tank choose the family or another way out? This was such a good read with more of the family kids and seeing what lies ahead for them. I can’t wait for more!!! Maksim (sighhhh) his story will be insanely good.
This is a lovely addition to the series where we follow Tiny and Tank as they navigate life and love in the family. I love the dark humour in these books I always find myself giggling along at the most inappropriate moments. Whether it’s a punishment, a murder or their no filter mouths I just love these families. The time has come for Tank to choose which side he is really on. Given the task of protecting Tiny may just push him over the edge. I loved all the unresolved passion mixed with the danger the family brings. These books are always fun to read and leave me wanting more.
An emotional storyline of Family, love and finding oneself. Including the every present humor and wit only Rachel Van Dyken can provide in a Mafia Book.
The background and the coming together of Tank an FBI double agent who must choose between the family loyalty or the law. There is yet one other hitch in that choice Kartini Abandonto she is a spitfire one of the Bosses daughter and he is unsure if he wants to strangle her or kiss her. Either way it will be a no win situation.
This is a must read!
Ahh what a fantastic read! The lines can be hard to define when you straddle you life with the FBI and mafia. The dark twisted truths revealed in this novella are not to be missed.
I love the depth of this story even though it is a novella it reads with the details of a 300 page book.
Tank is a guy I never cared for before and getting to know him more here bring a whole new side of him to discover. That is what I love about Rachel Van Dyken’s characters. She can write a character you hate to your core but redeem them in such a beautiful way you have no choice but to have your heartbroken in love with them.
Mafia King is a sassy and steamy romp, laced with an emotional love affair between an undercover FBI agent who feels more at home with his mafia Family and the mafia princess who’ll either get him killed or bring him to his knees.
Kartini Abandonado may be “Tiny,” but she’s not to be underestimated. Just like her cousins from the other mafia families, she’s smart, tough and trained. She hides a secret under the guise of rebellion, but the fact that she’s not herself is not lost on her father much less on Tank.
Tank Delange is probably the youngest FBI undercover agent, whose job was to coax his way into the inner circle of the mafia kids. Upon discovering he’s related to one of the families, that they’re not exactly what they seem, and falling for Tiny, his time straddling the line between FBI and mafia is coming to an end.
I really like reading novellas, anthologies and the like. They give the readers more of their favorite characters or a chance to get to know new authors. Regardless, they’re a treat and I loved that I could enjoy this one by one of my favorite authors.
Even though I do feel as though I would have enjoyed this novella more had I read the previous books in the series, it did not diminish the great character development, plot and world building. I am definitely going back to read the rest of the series!
Mafia King is novella #3.5 of the Mafia Royals series by Rachel Van Dyken. It is told from both points of view with a HEA. Genres: Contemporary Romance. Tropes: mafia romance | romance anthology | bodyguard | age gap
I loved this novella! Short and sweet, although I love it so much, I want more! Tiny and Tank are the perfect match for each other. I can’t wait for everyone to read it!
I loved this story from Rachel another 5 star read. I knew when I read the blurb I couldn’t wait to read it and it did not disappoint in the least. I love Rachels sense of humor in this story between the cousins they had me laughing at some of their stunts. Tank has been working with the 5 families for 2 years since he’s 1/2 mafia while also being undercover for the FBI he’s been walking a thin line between the 2 not knowing which one he’ll choose until he meets Kartini and he realizes he’s known all along his chose. This was so good I’d definitely recommend it.