Ruthless Stranger

Mafia Wars #1

by Maggie Cole

He’s a Ruthless Stranger. One I can’t see, only feel, thanks to my friends who make a deal with him on my behalf.

No names. No personal details. No face to etch into my mind.
Just him, me, and an expensive silk tie.
What happens in Vegas is supposed to stay in Vegas.
He warns me he’s full of danger.
I never see that side of him. All I experience is his Russian accent, delicious scent, and touch that lights me on fire.
One incredible night turns into two. Then we go our separate ways.
But fate doesn't keep us apart. When I run into my stranger back in Chicago, I know it’s him, even if I’ve never seen his icy blue eyes before.
Our craving is hotter than Vegas. But he never lied.
He’s a ruthless man…

”Ruthless Stranger” is the jaw-dropping first installment of the “Mafia Wars” series. It’s an interconnecting, stand-alone Dark Mafia Romance, guaranteed to have an HEA.

Genres: Romance, Mafia Romance, Dark Romance, Dark, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary

436 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2021

About the author

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Maggie Cole is committed to bringing her readers alphalicious book boyfriends and fiercely strong heroines.

She’s been called the literary master of steamy romance. Her books are full of raw emotion, suspense, and will always keep you wanting more. She is a masterful storyteller of contemporary romance and loves writing about broken people who rise above the ashes. Her books can often be found hanging out in the top 100, even years after publication.

Maggie lives in Florida with her son. She loves tennis, yoga, paddleboarding, boating, other water activities, and everything naughty.

Her current series were written in the order below:
All In (Stand alones with entwined characters)
It's Complicated (Stand alones with entwined characters)
Together We Stand (Brooks Family Saga - read in order)
Behind Closed Doors (Read in order)
Mafia Wars
Mafia Wars New York
Club Indulgence Duet
Mafia Wars Ireland
Wilted Kingdom Duet
The Underworld
The Cartwright Family (Holiday Romance)

Reviews

[♥ℳelody · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is supposedly a mafia romance but your couple's main "conflict" is getting dumped? Really? Another Saved By The Bell script cosplaying as a Mafia book. *sigh* For a mafia romance this was incredibly weak. The writing was weak. I could look the other way if I'm having a fun time. But a fun time this was not.

I didn't like the insta-love. You know the kind where your hero and heroine act like lovesick teenagers rather than adults. I didn't like the cheesy dialogue. This author seems to only know 2 verbs "spin" and "shimmy". It seemed she was attached to phrasing things a certain way and using it through the whole book.

I didn't like how flat the characters came off, the heroine Aspen in particular. I didn't like how we got all this background story on the hero Maksim and his brothers but nothing on Aspen except she was married to a loser for 20 years who made her miserable. All we know is Maksim's very first impression of her from across a pool and how she looks "part Native American and part European" but nothing else. Uh...ok. I didn't like Aspen's girl squad who felt more like annoying obnoxious stereotypical filler characters rather than real people. I get wanting to follow a fantasy but who the fuck sets up their best friend with a random ass stranger who volunteers to have sex with her while blindfolded in a Vegas hotel room? Without her knowledge? Get out of here. I'm sorry but the pushy overbearing friends setting it up for her without her knowledge ruined the fantasy for me. *shrugs* I also didn't like that the 2 "bitchy" mean ex girlfriends were both women of color while everyone else is white and nice. Maksim's bitchy ex Jade felt more fleshed out and more layered than Aspen. I thought he had more chemistry in that one little scene with his ex-girlfriend than the precious snowflake heroine. Not awkward at all. 😬

I didn't like how there was barely any Mafia action in this. Where was the conflict?? The action? The suspense? If you are gonna give me mafia you better give me more than a snake in a damn box. And no that's not a pun. Everything felt really tame and shallow including the sex. And as much as I love and adore foreign endearments, all the "my krasotka!" "yes my krasotka" "anything for you my krasotka" "my krasotka belongs to ME" just make your eyes go cross and takes you out of moments. It's so excessive and over the top. Maksim and his family and employees are Russian who speak fluent Russian on and off throughout the story. But the only Russian word used in this entire story is... yes you guessed it: krasotka. 😐 Maksim sounds sexy on paper but he didn't live up to the excitement. All his brooding over his "inner demon" coming out was all talk and very little action. You never really even see it.

I stare at my reflection, telling the monster within me to go back to hibernation.

Every time a situation pops up that I need to call upon my demon, I'll always be able to.

The monster within me is ready to tear Peter to shreds, inch by inch, then hold his heart in my hand while it takes its last beat.

What demons? Dude you sit in your fancy condo in power suits and make phone calls. Unless his "inner beast" is his dick I saw no beast or demon come out here. Stop telling me shit and show it. Also, why is he killing people when his brother Boris paid to free them from the debt to Mafia King Zamir? This felt like a really bad plot hole. I had a really hard time understanding that since it hinged entirely on driving the (thin) plot forward here. His side occupation of killing people is the big source of contention between him and the heroine so I needed it to make a little more sense. He keeps saying how he kills people for a living ever since they were boys under the control of bad guy Zamir and how his brother Boris paid to release Maksim and his brothers from that control so only Boris handles it now and gets his hands dirty. Sooooo....why are Maksim and the other 2 still killing people if they are supposedly "free"? *crickets*

But what really made me ragey and want to hurl my kindle against a wall and call it quits was right at the 40% mark when our couple have their very first tiff. Aspen finds out Maksim killed a man (even though she knows what he does for a living and that he's killed people) it spooks her and Maksim is hurt and gives her an out from their very new, very budding relationship. Lemme stress again very new as in they've been together as a couple for a total of 24 hours after their 48 hour fuckfest in Vegas as anonymous strangers. She gets offended, slaps him and throws the most epic tantrum suited for a 5 year old and runs out sobbing about betrayal. I almost wanted to throw a dictionary at this woman's head and make her look up the definition of "betrayal" cause this was not it, Mary Sue. She and her BFF's go out clubbing to cheer her up and of course they run into trouble. They all get piss drunk and she ends up on the lap of another beefy tattooed Rusky who happens to be Maksim's enemy and flirts it up with him. All hell ensues including threats, beat down, pretty much a war is triggered and Aspen's poor beleaguered bodyguard Adrian getting the burnt of the blame for not protecting her and her 3 drunk idiot friends. At this point my vision went hazy red and I skimmed ahead cause I was 2 seconds away from drop kicking this crap into outer space. Only reason I trudged on to the end was to see if we would actually get any Mafia action outside of the couple's high school drama and there was barely any. Aspen's explanation to the whole drama is even more mind numbingly stupid:

"All I wanted was you, and anything resembling you seemed like a good idea in my intoxicated state. But you made it clear we were through. I begged you not to end us, and you did it so easily."
Rage digs into my bones."You think that thug resembles me?"
"Maybe not in daylight, but all I heard was the Russian accent. I felt his danger how I feel yours, which I never felt with any man before I met you. And he had tattoos, like you."

Reminder: This woman is near 40 years old and acts like this. Puh huh. #ReturntoSender I already have very little patience for insta-love but a stupid juvenile heroine with little sense who makes poor choices on top of that? No. It makes your heroine come across crazy and unhinged with these kind of hysterical overblown reactions when she barely knows the hero. And did I mention because of her the hero nearly misses his own brother’s wedding rehearsal dinner because he's busy chasing her ass all over the city and worried sick? And yet this twit has the gall to say she was hurt that he went “without her” to the dinner. 🗣 BECAUSE YOU RAN OUT ON HIM YOU TWATWAFFLE. What did she expect him to do? Skip out on his own brother's wedding rehearsal for her? smh. This woman is nearly 40 but was acting like a hysterical insecure child. It makes my brain hurt when I read heroines written this way but they get patted on the back cause "she was dumped". I kinda wanted to have a Ross Geller moment considering how stupid the fight was and she didn't seem to understand the meaning of talking it out.

He didn't even stick his Russian sausage anywhere else for her to react this way. After everything you went through? Baby, you didn't know him from Adam a week ago. Stop it.

Some of the Ivanov brothers and cousins did kinda intrigue me but my faith in this author's skill is little to none and I'm not sure I can deal with another round of "my krasotka" for another heroine. I need a little more confidence in the author to keep me entertained and I'm not sure there is any confidence to be had. This just felt very amueter and didn't really feel like a Mafia romance.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was such a good mafia romacne! First, I loved how the heroine was in her 30s and the hero was in his 40s. While there was a bit of an age gap, I really loved reading about a little bit older characters than your typical characters in their 20s. The heroine just got a divorce and is ready for a fun girls' trip in Vegas. She doesn't expect to have a blindfolded one night stand with someone who makes her forget about everyone and everything. Once their time in Vegas is done, though, they go their separate ways and don't expect to see each other again. But when she goes to work on day, the new clients her company is working with just so happen to include the man she hasn't stopped thinking about. I really loved how hard the hero fell for the heroine in this book and how just obsessed they were with each other. He does lead a dangerous life, though, and doesn't want to hurt the heroine at all. I didn't really love the third act conflict that drove the characters apart because it had to do with their inability to communicate with one another, but I still really enjoyed this story!

[Warda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a solid, solid start to the Mafia Wars series. Seems that Maggie Cole has created a vast world and I cannot wait to dive in and discover all of it.

I loved the romance, though it became slightly a bit too long-winded at the end.
But the side characters were just as strong and I’m dying to see what their stories will be like.

[Corinne [hiatus] · Rating 2 out of 5]

✔Russian mafia romance
✔2-night stand (with her blindfolded all the time)
✔Very steamy scenes with older characters
✔Insta love in Vegas (why?)
✔Protective alpha hero

38 year old Aspen is dragged to Vegas by her best friends to celebrate her divorce. She wants a one night stand with someone who could take care of her in bed, without knowing who it is. 46 year old Maksim is in Vegas for his brother's bachelor party. After 11 years of on again, off again with the same woman who wouldn't commit, he is jaded and tired. He hears Aspen and her friends talk and decides to fulfil her desire. They have a very hot 2 nights stand in Vegas.
Back in Chicago, they meet again by chance and they start pursuing a relationship with all the dangera provided by the mafia romance.

What I liked:
- older characters capable of as much passion as younger ones.
- great mafia world buiding

What I didn't like:
- the insta-love between the characters
In about 2 weeks since getting back together in Chicago, they were getting married. To me thats not romantic just wildly unrealistic.
- I got a bit lost in some of the discussions between Maksim and his brothers and I felt like I was missing information

About the audiobook:
I didn't like the narrators. She sounded conceited and pompous. All the characters had the same way of talking.
His accent was more italian than russian and when Maksim was angry, it just sounded wierd and wrong.
I probably would have given this book 3 stars if it wasn't for the audio.

Not continuing with the series for the moment.

[ashlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m ovulating so my standards are in hell but I ate this tf up Russian accent?✅ Mystery man in Vegas with an expensive silk tie? Say less. It was fast, spicy, and unhinged in the best way. I usually cannot stand insta love, but again… I’m ovulating, your honor.

It’s super quick paced and I totally get why some people didn’t vibe with it. It’s giving fever dream. But me personally? I was so locked in that i finished it in a day

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ehhhh Ohhhhh! New Stern Brunch Daddy Alert! This book was sizzling hot and also had so much heart and family behind it. I was swooning and smiling ear to ear for most of it.

Aspen has just gotten out of a horrible marriage where her husband has been sucking her dry, and not in the fun way. She is 38, at a job where is taken advantage of and not feeling so great about herself. So her girlfriends take her to Vegas to blow off some steam and hopefully get her laid.

Maxsim is in Vegas too, for a bachelor party with his brothers. He is 46 and has had an off again-on again relationship with the same woman for the last 11 years. She isn't ready to commit to him and he is just over it all. He feels very tired of it all.

And then.... he overhears Aspen tell her girlfriends about her fantasy... To be ravished by a stranger and never know his name and has no consequences in the morning. Little does Aspen suspect, Maxsim and her friends are going to make her fantasy some alive.

Maxsim would never want to put a woman in danger, with his ties to organized crime, and a one stand stand where neither of them know each other is the perfect way to blow off some steam... but then, they really talk, with no expectations or plans for anything more and they are hooked...

But of course, it can't end there. When they both get back to Chicago, she happens to work at the zoning office where Maxsim has a meeting and as soon as she hears his voice... she know its her Ruthless Stanger...

I just LOVED the set up of this book. I loved that the characters were older, I loved that they have both loved before but it was never quite right. The devotion we see from Maxsim and the instant connection between them just worked for me. We know how GONE he is for Aspen, but how he fears bringing her into his world and tarnishing her... he sees her as so precious.

There were a ton of issues for them to overcome, but I loved how passionate they were and I always knew their troubles wouldn't last for long, even in the midst of the Mafia Wars.

This was my first book my Maggie Cole, but I look forward to so many more.

5/5 stars.

[QuinnReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best Kind of Vegas Experience!

4.5 stars - A great start to this new series!

Aspen and Maksim are incredibly explosive even when only sweat and releases are exchanged. The lack of names, details, and even visuals heightens the experiences! I've never had that kind of Vegas experience but holy moly! Everyone deserves an encounter like that at least once. 😍🔥💥🎉 (The world would probably be a happier place, that's for certain.)

I love the level of fun, fierceness, and crazy that Aspen's girlfriends bring to the mix. Things don't always pan out but the comedic relief often provided is a joy - even when I wanted to shake them.

When the cat is out of the bag, things definitely get more interesting... and dangerous. I love how Maksim consistently puts Aspen's safety, security, wishes, and desires first, even when they are at war with his base instincts and the yammering of his brothers. It's amazing what the love of the right person can do to set your life to rights and leave you more centered.

He proves to himself repeatedly that his past relationship with Jade wasn't as deep, fulfilling, or loving as he thought it was. Aspen has similar revelations about her former marriage. There's a bonus chapter that reaffirms their love and that they still have that playful intensity that makes them hot despite the trouble that lurks.

A couple of things before I go. The Ivanovs were introduced in an earlier book by Maggie Cole, Wrapped in Perfection. I've not yet read it. While I'm sure I would've better appreciated some of the nuances between Anna, Dmitri, and their respective families, I don't think the lack of exposure prevented me from enjoying this book. Secondly, the epilogue ends with a bit of a cliffhanger. Well, cliffhanger might not be the right word but it definitely works to set-up book 2 - which I'm very much looking forward to reading. I'm voluntarily leaving a review of the ARC for this book.

[Crystal's Bookish Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loooooved this. This has a delicious and unique first meeting between the hero and heroine. Their chemistry was HOT, and the hero was so protective! I loved it.

[✧ FLINN ✧ (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this so much ! Maksim is definitely my favorite book boyfriend or dare i even say: husband, ever! I love how protective he was of Aspen and the dynamic of their relationship. It was a joy to read, the writing is exactly my style and the story was captivating! I usually don’t read book series within a inter-connected world, where next books are about other characters, but in this one, I’ll probably do an exception because of how good it was!

5 ⭐️

[Lyrik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the mature characters (he's 46, she's 38) that acted maturely. Loved the big cast of interconnected friends & family. The steam level was off the charts from page one. Great start to a series and can't wait to read more!

[Ava · Rating 5 out of 5]

2025: Loved this reread!

2021: This is the first book in a mafia romance series between Aspen and Maxism. Aspen and her friends go on a trip to Las Vegas for a few days after her well-deserved divorce is finalized. She tells her friends about a certain fantasy she wants with a stranger, where the whole night she has no idea who he is because she is blindfolded. Then the next day, they part their separate ways never to see each other again. Maxism, a dangerous man, overhears this conversation and plans to fulfill this fantasy. After their amazing time in Vegas together, they go their separate ways as planned. However, they did not plan on walking into work the next day to see the other person there aswell.

This was truly an epic romance!! Ugh, I loved this so much! We don't normally get to read romance books about characters in their late 30s and 40s, so this was unique for the genre. But I think we definitely need more of them! I just thought that the way these two met was flipping fantastic. I got a million butterflies when these two came in contact after Vegas. I was SWOONING!! I cannot wait to read more of Maggie Cole!!

TROPES: alpha heroes, brooding heroes, caretaking scene, contemporary adult romance, damaged hero, kindle unlimited

[XxTainaxX Curvy and Nerdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook review. Maksim and Aspen had a hot weekend in Vegas as strangers but their tryst was unforgettable to them both. They’ve each got their past experiences and current dilemmas to deal with but when they cross paths again, they were unable to resist the magnetic attraction.

The plot was interesting. The characters had great chemistry and the intimacy was hot. They really give off the Insta love vibes so if that is your jam, you will enjoy it. I struggled a bit with the relationship progression for Maksim because of some of his history but really liked the end result. Aspen’s personality and actions were frustrating at times but I understand how those elements were used to create conflict that moved the story forward.

Sarah Puckett did a great job with her narration, especially when transitioning between characters. Zachary Johnson did a good job overall even though the Russian accent didn’t feel as natural for him. Their tone, pace, and inflections reflect their professionalism and experience.

Complementary copy received and voluntarily reviewed.

[Bree Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

♡ Rec from Crystal
♡ Mafia romance
♡ Epic meetcute
♡ One night stand turned into relationship
♡ What happens in vegas
♡ Russain hero
♡ Alphamellow

Oh. My. Goodness. This MEETCUTE! This rec from Crystal was absolutely perfection. It’s always exciting to discover a new-to-me author who completely blows me away. There were so many moments in this book that made me want to do the Love Actually happy dance/squeal. I’ve been looking for more mafia romances to see if it’s a subgenre that I like, and I’m thinking, after this book, I REALLY like them. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

[RachelReadsandSings · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars? Aww mannnnn I had such high hopes for this one! I loooooooooved Aspen and Maksim together, plus their first meeting was 🔥🔥🔥🥵🥵🥵

However, I had a couple issues with this book. Bc the romance is pretty instalovey, the story starts to focus a lot more on other plot elements by about the 40% mark, most of which I didn’t really care about. There’s also a fair amount of info dumping going on in terms of the different mafia families and which ones are at war with each other and why, which made more a tedious reading experience at times. I was ready for this to be over by the 75% mark 😫

[inês ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Insta-love, with pretty wishy-washy characters. Very light on the mafia aspects and not as dark as I would have preferred from a so called "dark mafia romance"

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This sadly didn’t work for me. The writing felt very flat, as did the characters. I went in expecting a mafia romance and this is very mafia-light, mafia adjacent I would even say (as in the hero and his brothers have dealings with the Russian and Irish mafia 🤷🏼‍♀️). While the characters were older (which I loved), they definitely acted immature at times and I found the heroine’s age especially hard to believe with some of her actions. Everything was very easy and low-stakes and the writing just left a lot to be desired.

What I did like: older characters, heroine is 38 and hero is 46. Their first meeting being a “one night only” in Vegas was fun.

Heroine and her friends are in Vegas celebrating her divorce, she had been married for 20 years to a jerk of a husband who used up all her money. Her friends want her to get some action and she says she only would if she was blindfolded and taken care of all night by a mystery man. The hero overhears and approaches her friends offering himself up. They don’t share names and she is blindfolded the whole night and never sees his face. While back home in Chicago a couple days later they end up bumping into one another at her work place, she’s a city permit tech. Their relationship is very insta love and kicks off from there.

[Melluvsbooks]

Characters in their 40s - Hero was with OW for 11 years and still hung up on her - h is divorced after being married for 20’years. 🥴👎🏻

[Bette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Story & Narration🎧 Gripping & Intense!

Ruthless Stranger
A Mafia Strangers to Lovers Romance (Mafia Wars, Book One)
By: Maggie Cole
Narrated by: Sarah Puckett, Zachary Johnson

I loved everything about this audiobook, from Maggie Cole’s wonderful writing style to the characters and storylines she created to the perfectly casted narrators who brought it all to life. This is my first book written by Ms. Cole and it will definitely not be my last, I hope more of her work comes to audio soon. I was drawn into her story right from the start, it captured my attention and held it the entire time. The characters are complex and well developed, they are realistic, easy to relate to and connect with. The mafia world she created is fascinating, it is easy to follow who the major players are and where the main characters fall in the hierarchy and how they became to be players in that world. This book is Maksim and Aspen’s story, I their first encounter in Vegas, her friends, Skylar, Cora and Hailey, helped set it up and it turned out to be hot and steamy time together. Neither one thought or even planned on seeing the other again but call it fate or call it chance the two do wind up meeting again. He shows up for a meeting at her office to conduct business. I loved how everything plays out for these two, it was great to learn more about each. She had her troubles with her ex-husband and Maksim comes from and lives in a world of trouble. It was heartbreaking to hear some of his and his brothers history but it explains why he became who he is, ruthless. This is an awesome dark mafia romance novel, the story is cleverly plotted and there is never a dull moment. There is plenty of drama, angst, twists and turns, action, thrilling and suspenseful moments and some hot romance. I am looking forward to what comes next in this amazing new series, need more of those Ivanov brothers, Adrian and hopefully Aspen’s friends. Maggie Cole thank you for this great story, it was entertaining, enjoyable and an unpredictable and emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧 And for the fabulous narration, Sarah Puckett and Zachary Johnson are talented narrators and versatile voice artists. They did an awesome job portraying the characters, bringing them to life and humanizing them with their emotions and personality. They gave each character their own distinct voice voice making it easy to follow along and tell who is who. I loved how each took their characters role and made it their own, sounding believable and just as I picture them to sound. Both were awesome with the different accents especially the Russian, Zachary Johnson perfected Maksim’s role and Sarah Puckett did the same for Aspen. Both were great performing the roles of the secondary characters as well. They are entertaining storytellers and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another awesome listen🎧

Thank you @PinkFlamingoProductions @AudiobookObsession AudiobookObsessionReviewer🎧 The Flock!

[Ela (Mouse333) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked this book’s plot but I wanted to see a bit more of Aspen and Maksim getting to know each other.

Maksim is supposed to be the ‘ruthless’ stranger and while it was fine, I didn’t think that he was ruthless as he was second guessing and regretting what he was doing.

Also, the mafia aspect wasn’t too big, in my opinion. Yes, they did illegal things and have been involved with people from the mafia but in this book not much was shown. They only scare one person and then when they are going to torture and kill others, the chapter ends before anything is shown.

I think I will continue with the series but I want a mafia book where the characters act like they actually belong in one, where they react to situations how you would expect them to react. I’ve read too many books where the mafia people are supposed to be bad and not have any conscience and yet every time there is no torture and they painlessly just kill the people who wrong them.

[Min · Rating 1 out of 5]

This had an interesting premise. But then we had our main couple acting like a lovesick teenage couple (they're both in their mid-thirties to forties, mind you) and things started going downhill. Rapidly. At the 10% mark.

I didn't care for our main characters. Personally, I didn't find there to be ANY chemistry between the two, and while I don't mind an instalove situation, the execution of this one just wasn't convincing or even endearing. Our heroine is a jaded divorcée and our hero's this supposedly seasoned bratva-linked man. Once they meet, our heroine's TRIPPING over herself silly over this stranger, and our hero's FALLING IN LOVE with a woman for no other reason than they had spent two great nights together. This premise just wasn't well-fleshed out and executed enough given our characters' backgrounds. We needed more!

And then, the rest of the story was frankly a snorefest. The whole "speaking in Russian" thing was also a little weird. But well, I might continue with the series since the author does come up with pretty interesting premises. This one just probably wasn't for me.

[Coco.V · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC...

[Lover of Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Since I woke up in Vegas without you, I’ve been falling apart. You brought me to life, and without you, I’m wilting away again.

First Impressions
I will be honest I have waited too long to read these books, and I was first introduced to this book by Jenn @ The Book Refuge, and she has RAVED about this series and I just knew that I needed to try these books out. I haven’t been reading much mafia lately and I have been wanting to read this author and I felt like this was the perfect place to start and the tropes in this one I was definitely in the right mood for. And I can definitely see why these books are so well loved though, and I was so fascinated with this type of mafia read, because they aren’t your typical mafia romance. I was fascinated by this family of brothers that we are introduced to and I just wanted to delve more into their stories and see the intrigue behind them. I really found the romance to be packed with some drama, sexy sensuality but also plenty of feels. If you are wanting to delve into mafia, this is actually a great beginner book as well.

Summary
Aspen has just gotten divorced after 20 years of marriage and when she learned that her husband had been using her money and also been cheating on her, she knew she was done. And she is celebrating in Vegas with her friends and then she meets her ruthless stranger. Maksim is with his brothers celebrating an upcoming marriage, but when he is in the bar and overhears the type of night and distraction that Aspen is looking for, he knows he is just the man to give it to her. He knows she is the type of woman that is way out of his league but wants to indulge in this one night with her. Maksim and Aspen spend two passionate nights together exploring their desires with each other. Some weeks following, it shocks them both when they find that they will be working on a project together and that they both live in the same city. Maksim knows that he won’t be able to let go of Aspen, he is determined to be fully honest with her about his past and their current situation with her. While Aspen and Maksim work on building their relationship and exploring what they are capable of, they also discover secrets and strengths and are pushed to the limits but also find a beautiful love worth fighting for…

The problem with trust is, once it’s broken, it’s hard to repair. Anything that threatens it again can take the fracture and break it in two, even if the truth isn’t what you perceive.

What I Loved
I absolutely adored this book so much, and even though it didn’t quite make it to the five-star mark, I honestly loved so much of this story and most importantly this solid romance that just worked so well for me. It is quite a page-turner, so you will easily be drawn into the story very quickly. It’s so easy to be invested in their relationship and you definitely will be on the sidelines cheering them on in finding their HEA. I really enjoyed the aspects of the mafia world that we are introduced to.. It’s not your typical mafia setup, as the brothers here, were forced into the life. They worry about keeping the women they love safe, but they have such a strong bond as brothers and friends and always have each other’s backs. I loved the way that they work through the challenges that they face here, and it was so fascinating to see how this story set up the series. I was so intrigued by the cast of characters that we are introduced into. Now for the delicious part…the actual romance., I adored how quickly our couple comes together, they are “together” early on, that doesn’t mean they don’t have issues to work through, they definitely have pasts to work through. But I was so fascinated by the way in which this couple was able to work through their struggles and how connected they were in their relationship. I always really loved their ages, the heroine is in her late thirties and the hero is in his mid-forties, so not much of an age gap, I always get a kick out of more mature characters.

What I Struggled With
I did have an issue with this story that really affected my true enjoyment of the story, I wanted so much more from the conflict that rises between the couple. Honestly, I didn’t find it truly believable their issues that crop up and it felt like a ton of drama that wasn’t necessary. It almost felt like a filler being used almost. It probably won’t affect many ppl’s reading of this one, but it did just annoy me a bit haha

Overall View
I found Ruthless Stranger to be a fascinating beginning, it contains a romance that is guaranteed to curl your toes and endear you completely to this pair and their love story!

Without our past, we cannot have our future. It shapes us and determines what we will and will not tolerate going forward. We can never forget the past lessons, or they will be repeated in our future

Trigger Warnings:
Violence, Torture, Death

[Marcella Gillespie thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dropping what I’m doing and heading to Vegas to find my self a hot Russian guy!!! This book is so hot I melted in my seat with in the first ten pages!!!! Maggie’s books just get better and better and better

[Jai Rahim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the awesome beginning of this book--the premise under which Maksim and Aspen met.

Although this book has ruthless in the title, I would classify this as a soft mafia book. The Ivanovs do not count themselves as true mafia, but they do skirt the periphery (I don't know whether this will change later in the series). If looking for hardcore mafia savagery, you'll only get a taste of it in the backstory. Violence, is primarily implied.

Maksim: Though he repeatedly refers to himself as ruthless, there wasn't much evidence of it. I was disappointed that he tempered his 'beast' far too much out of consideration for Aspen. I also disliked how he seemed to shoulder the blame whenever contention arose in their relationship. Aspen did something at a nightclub, that a 'ruthless' man would have tanned that ass for, but Maksim excused it. He's too much of a Prince Charming to give off that mafioso badassery that makes you quiver in lustful anticipation of punishment.

Aspen: By twenty years, gullibility becomes duplicitous. Can someone who's known love, had loving parents, convince themselves--for twenty years--that a person who flagrantly doesn't give a shit about them, does? I didn't buy it. Contemporary women wouldn't put up with that shit, let alone for twenty years. But it's fiction, so I had to let it go. These heroines (Aspen, included) hook up with mafia guys then harp on questions they know damn well they don't want the effing answers to. It's aggravating.

It didn't escape my notice that the two ethnic female characters, Jade and Eloise--were both depicted quite negatively--while the seven caucasian females were...not. For that, I have to give this book only two stars.

[Tori - Novel Life · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars - Contemporary Romance

I liked this mafia romance because the characters were a lot older than some of the other mafia romances I have read.

It was such a nice change of pace but to be honest, the miscommunication conflict? Was really annoying.

I will definitely continue with the series but I wish miscommunication wasn’t the main conflict in this book

[🦉Maggie Whitworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥
💋💋

Awesome first book in this Mafia series.
Brilliant characters with such well thought out personalities.
Stunning storyline that’s filled with romance and thrilling adventure, some quite gruesome torture too that’s mostly left to the imagination.
Definitely need to get more of these books

[Sophie Ruthven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having fallen in love with this author's work with her military series, it was a no brainer that I was going to read this one as mafia is another favourite genre of mine.
It certainly did not disappoint!!!
Although the subplot didn't hook me as much as the other series, it was still a gripping read from cover and I can't wait to see what happens next after that last chapter!

[Kayleigh bonallie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot, Hot, Hot!

That is exactly how to kick off a series. From the very first page I fell victim to the charms of Maksim Ivanov and hanging on his every word! This book was just the gift that kept on giving! Not all is as it seems in the world of the Ivanovs and the jawdropping cliffhanger will have you on the edge of your seat!
This story blew my mind from start to finish and It thrills me knowing that there are so many more installments. My hat is off to you Maggie Cole because I can't begin to fathom how your brain works in such wonderful ways!

[Audréanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Livre qui m’a accompagné dans les derniers jours alors que j’étais malade 🤧

Toute une surprise. Je ne m’attendais à rien. Je n’avais jamais lu de critiques ou autres commentaires à son sujet. Je ne connaissais pas non plus l’auteure.

J’en suis donc agréablement surprise.

Oui, il faudrait revoir la page couverture.
Oui, il faudrait revoir le synopsis (il ne rend pas justice à l’ensemble des événements qui se déroule dans le livre).

On parle ici d’une romance qui mélange et garde bien le rythme avec des aspects plus sombres de la fiction.

L’univers est riche. Les personnages sont intéressants. Les clichés sont juste assez bien dilués. Les relations entre les personnages sont, sommes toute, assez saines et se développent sans la trope de miscommunication qu’on connait par cœur.

Je n’ai jamais lu de romans gravitant dans ce monde là (rivalités entre gang de rue) je ne peux donc pas comparer sa pertinence aux autres livres de mafia. Ici, il n’y a pas de violences conjugales. Chaque personne est consentante et aspire à un futur sans violence. Ou du moins… plus nuancé ! Les femmes ne sont pas stupides et ne sont pas l’obsession de fous dangereux. Les hommes, quant à eux, sont matures et assez réfléchis. On ne joue donc pas avec la moralité des lecteurs.

Et la fin. Je ne m’attendais pas du tout à une intrigue qui pourrait si bien déjouer la suite de cette série. J’ai vraiment envie de lire le to2 un de ces jours.

Plaisir coupable assumé et justifié avec ce roman là, promis 🤞🏻

[Jana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book made me so mad. At the beginning I struggled a bit then the middle portion felt like a solid four stars. Then it just fell totally and completely flat and all the reasons I found it charming and fun just went away. The most exciting thing happens at 90 percent but is handled in the most blasé way. I could no longer care about the characters then it ended in a cliff hanger.

The dialogue which at first was alright becomes off putting because people do not talk that way.

At first I didn’t mind it was a bit insta love but they fall in love with each other in under a week and I just can’t, the book itself maybe spans a two week timeline for their relationship and I’m supposed to believe they have some deep connected???