Vittorio Crime Family · 2014
High StakesSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
Spice 4/5 (Explicit) · Darkness 4/5 (Pitch) · 1 trigger warning flagged
High Stakes is book 1 of Vittorio Crime Family by Vanessa Waltz, first out in 2014. Expect mafia. Spice is explicit (4 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: 29 July 2014 (first publication, per Goodreads). Book 1 of Vittorio Crime Family.
High Stakes tropes
On this shelf, High Stakes is filed under Mafia dark romance. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
High Stakes spice level
Is High Stakes dark romance?
Yes, firmly. High Stakes scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More pitch books. How we rate.
High Stakes 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.
Minor (0)
Present, and usually not the reason someone puts the book down.
None flagged in this band.
Full High Stakes trigger warnings
Vittorio Crime Family reading order
High Stakes is book 1 of 1 in Vanessa Waltz's Vittorio Crime Family series. Start here.
- Book 1 High Stakes (this book) · 2014
Order checked against the Goodreads Vittorio Crime Family series page on 13 October 2026.
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 High Stakes
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- Antony
Antony
Bethany-Kris
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance
- Borden
Borden
R.J. Lewis
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance
- Borden 2
Borden 2
R.J. Lewis
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance
- Destino
Destino
Sienna Mynx
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance
- Hold You Against Me
Hold You Against Me
Skye Warren
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance
- King of Diamonds
King of Diamonds
Renee Rose
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance
- Owned by the Hitman
Owned by the Hitman
Alexis Abbott
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance
- The Skull Ruler
The Skull Ruler
Penelope Sky
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance
Books like High Stakes, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of High Stakes?
High Stakes spice level is 4 of 5 (Explicit). On-page sex, clearly written. Darkness is a separate score: 4 of 5 (Pitch).
What are the High Stakes trigger warnings?
Graphic: none flagged. Moderate: Violence. Minor: none flagged. Warnings not yet verified against the author's own list. Check it before you start.
Is High Stakes dark romance?
Yes, firmly. High Stakes scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch). Bleak on purpose. Comfort is not the job.
What tropes are in High Stakes?
On this shelf High Stakes is filed under Mafia dark romance.
Who is High Stakes for?
For a reader who wants made men and a family business you do not walk away from. Spice is explicit. Darkness is pitch. Warnings are not yet verified, so check the author's note first.
What are some books like High Stakes?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: Antony by Bethany-Kris; Borden by R.J. Lewis; Borden 2 by R.J. Lewis; Destino by Sienna Mynx; Hold You Against Me by Skye Warren; King of Diamonds by Renee Rose. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/high-stakes.
Is High Stakes a standalone?
No. High Stakes is book 1 of 1 in the Vittorio Crime Family series by Vanessa Waltz.
What order should I read the Vittorio Crime Family series in?
1. High Stakes.
How many books are in the Vittorio Crime Family series?
The Vittorio Crime Family series by Vanessa Waltz has 1 main book.
What is the High Stakes age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 4/5 (explicit) 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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