The Vengeful Queen

A Mafia Romance (The Hale Mafia, Book 2)

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About this listen

“Happily ever afters don’t exist in our world.”

Charlie

Time stopped when Teddy died. I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t function.

Until Lucas.

He became an unlikely ally who helped me navigate through my fog of pain. I never intended for it to become more, but one night everything between us crashed to the surface.

Now, Teddy is back and I’m trapped in a triangle with two of the deadliest men I know.

How can I uncover my father’s murderer when I’ve ignited a rivalry that could blow my world apart?

Teddy

Four weeks.

I left her for four weeks.

I knew faking my death was a bad idea, but I had a plan. My men would guard her, guide her, and protect her. Not once did I think one would betray me and bed her.

Lucas was once my brother in arms, now he is competition... and I don’t like losing.

I will see to it that Charlie get the answers she craves, and show her I don’t play games with what is mine.

Blood will be spilled before I allow Lucas to take her from me.

NOTE—Listener discretion is advised. This book contains mature content and themes some may find offensive, distressing and a potential trigger. Recommended for 18+. The Vengeful Queen is book two in the Hale Mafia Series. It is NOT a stand-alone. For the full story and experience, The Devious King should be listened to first.

BL MuteAlan StonePhillipa MillerPink Flamingo ProductionsThe Hale Mafia

Action & Adventure

Contemporary

Gothic

Horror

Romantic Suspense

Royalty

Mafia

Action & Adventure Contemporary Gothic Horror Romantic Suspense Royalty Mafia

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Listener received this title free

For transparency: I received free codes for books 2 and 3 from the audio production team in exchange for an honest review.

Don’t make my mistake! This is absolutely not a series of stand-alone books. You must read (or listen) in order, starting with book 1. I originally jumped in at book 2 and was completely lost. So I stopped, bought book 1, and suddenly the confusing chaos of dropping into the middle of a story made sense.

Also: this series comes with major trigger warnings, especially starting in book 2. The author thoughtfully lists them on her page, and I highly recommend reading them. Specifically, if you’re sensitive to sexual assault, please take care. It plays a significant role in book 2.

The narrators are excellent. They suit their characters perfectly, and the audio production overall was immersive and professional.

Book 1 hooked me completely. The plot, the tension, the Mafia romance vibes. I was all in. But then book 2 took such sharp turns into what felt like a mash-up of dark romance tropes that I ended up more baffled than satisfied.

(Spoilers below — stop reading if you don’t want them!)

The Devious KIng (Book 1)
Charlie is the daughter of a police chief who was murdered. Determined to find his killer, she falls into bed (both business and literally) with Teddie, the local Mafia boss. We learn that her father (while not a dirty cop) quietly worked with Teddie over the years as Teddie could do what the law couldn’t. Teddie has been watching over Charlie her whole life. Once Teddie is hired as his bodyguard, Teddie seems to be grooming her to take over “just in case” something happens to him. I even wondered if he was terminally ill based on some of the hints.

Then- bam-Teddie dies in a car accident. Charlie is devastated, but his right-hand men, twins Lucas and Judis, help her pick up the pieces. She steps into Teddie’s role, holding herself together in public while falling apart in private, especially with Lucas, who comforts her through her nightmares. The book ends on a wild twist: Teddie, alive and scarred, walks back in the door. I was hooked. Mafia romance with tension, angst, mystery? Take my money. I immediately jumped into The Vengeful Queen (Book 2)

And that's when everything derails for me.

The Vengeful Queen cranks the darkness way up, but not in a way that made sense to me. Teddie fakes his own death (to draw out his rival, who may have killed Charlie’s father), but the ploy does not work. He just misses Charlie and decides to come home. During his absence (which is basically a month or so), Charlie and Lucas share a drunken kiss. That’s all! Just a kiss, which Lucas stops from going further, out of respect for Teddie. When Teddie returns, however, he has somehow become a full-blown sadistic villain. Not the sexy “I’ll burn the world for you” kind of dark hero, but cruel, jealous, violent, and abusive. He beats Lucas nearly to death and rapes Charlie, accusing both of betrayal. Apparently, his twisted logic is that by making Charlie hate him, it’ll somehow protect her or make things easier for her to let go? Honestly… what? Meanwhile, the actual big bad turns out to be a cop (and an old friend of her father) who’s obsessed with Charlie and responsible for her father’s murder. At the end of book 2, Teddie is killed for real. Charlie is injured, and while at the hospital, she discovers she’s pregnant.

Book 1 was strong: a gripping Mafia romance with tension, mystery, and dark, but compelling characters. But book 2 felt like the story abandoned its heart and instead tried to check off every dark romance trope possible, even when they didn’t fit the characters or narrative. Teddie’s sudden sadism and the rape storyline didn’t make sense to me, I am an optimistic person, though, so onto Book 3 I go. Maybe it will make more sense to me.