Buttons · 2016
Buttons & LaceSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
by Penelope Sky
Spice 5/5 (Scorching) · Darkness 4/5 (Pitch) · No trigger warnings flagged
Buttons & Lace is book 1 of Buttons by Penelope Sky. It came out in 2016. It sits in the mafia and enemies to lovers corner of the shelf. Spice is scorching, with a lot of it on the page (5 of 5) and the darkness is pitch dark (4 of 5). We could not find the author's own warning list yet, so check it before you start. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 11 November 2016 (first publication, per Goodreads). Book 1 of Buttons.
Buttons & Lace tropes
On this shelf, Buttons & Lace is filed under Mafia dark romance and Enemies to lovers. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
Buttons & Lace spice level
Is Buttons & Lace dark romance?
Yes, firmly. Buttons & Lace scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More pitch books. How we rate.
Buttons & Lace trigger warnings
Warnings not yet verified. We could not find the author's own content warning list for this book, so the flags here are only what the publisher's description makes clear. Check the author's note before you start.
Graphic (0) — open before you read
Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.
None flagged in this band.
Moderate (0)
Harm, control, or obsession that is common in this lane.
None flagged in this band.
Minor (0)
Present, and usually not the reason someone puts the book down.
None flagged in this band.
Full Buttons & Lace trigger warnings
Buttons reading order
Buttons & Lace is book 1 of 2 in Penelope Sky's Buttons series. Start here.
- Book 1 Buttons & Lace (this book) · 2016
- Book 2 Buttons & Hate · 2017
Order checked against the Goodreads Buttons series page on 13 October 2026. The Buttons series in order.
Who it's for
Shelf note written for this site. We do not copy reviews or publisher blurbs. Outbound links are search pages, not quoted ratings. Kindle Unlimited and endings are only flagged when we were willing to mark them. How we rate.
Missing a book? Suggest it.
Books like Buttons & Lace
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- Awakening
Awakening
Lee Savino
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- Buttons & Hate
Buttons & Hate
Penelope Sky
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- Guns n' Boys: Book 1, Part 1
Guns n' Boys: Book 1, Part 1
K.A. Merikan
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- Tempted by Deception
Tempted by Deception
Rina Kent
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- By Fate I Conquer
By Fate I Conquer
Cora Reilly
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- By Virtue I Fall
By Virtue I Fall
Cora Reilly
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- He Hates Me
He Hates Me
Isabella Starling
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- Heartless Beloved
Heartless Beloved
Lola King
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
Books like Buttons & Lace, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of Buttons & Lace?
Buttons & Lace spice level is 5 of 5 (Scorching). Frequent, graphic, the point of many chapters. Darkness is a separate score: 4 of 5 (Pitch).
What are the Buttons & Lace trigger warnings?
Graphic: none flagged. Moderate: none flagged. Minor: none flagged. Warnings not yet verified against the author's own list. Check it before you start.
Is Buttons & Lace dark romance?
Yes, firmly. Buttons & Lace scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch). Bleak on purpose. Comfort is not the job.
What tropes are in Buttons & Lace?
On this shelf Buttons & Lace is filed under Mafia dark romance and Enemies to lovers.
Who is Buttons & Lace for?
For a reader who wants made men and a family business you do not walk away from. Spice is scorching. Darkness is pitch. Warnings are not yet verified, so check the author's note first.
What are some books like Buttons & Lace?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: Awakening by Lee Savino; Buttons & Hate by Penelope Sky; Guns n' Boys: Book 1, Part 1 by K.A. Merikan; Tempted by Deception by Rina Kent; By Fate I Conquer by Cora Reilly; By Virtue I Fall by Cora Reilly. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/buttons-and-lace.
Is Buttons & Lace a standalone?
No. Buttons & Lace is book 1 of 2 in the Buttons series by Penelope Sky.
What order should I read the Buttons series in?
1. Buttons & Lace; 2. Buttons & Hate.
How many books are in the Buttons series?
The Buttons series by Penelope Sky has 2 main books.
What is the Buttons & Lace age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 5/5 (scorching) and darkness at 4/5 (pitch). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
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