The Gentlemen · 2021
Red HandedSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
by Kate King
Spice 4/5 (Explicit) · Darkness 4/5 (Pitch) · 6 trigger warnings flagged
Red Handed is book 1 of The Gentlemen by Kate King. It came out in 2021. Expect mafia, why choose and enemies to lovers. 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: 6 August 2021 (first publication, per Goodreads). Book 1 of The Gentlemen.
Red Handed tropes
On this shelf, Red Handed is filed under Mafia dark romance, Why choose / reverse harem and Enemies to lovers. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
Red Handed spice level
Is Red Handed dark romance?
Yes, firmly. Red Handed scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More pitch books. How we rate.
Red Handed 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.
Full Red Handed trigger warnings
The Gentlemen reading order
Red Handed is book 1 of 1 in Kate King's The Gentlemen series. Start here.
- Book 1 Red Handed (this book) · 2021
Order checked against the Goodreads The Gentlemen 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 Red Handed
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- Maniacs
Maniacs
Sheridan Anne
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Why choose / reverse harem
- Forget-Me-Not Bombshell
Forget-Me-Not Bombshell
Caroline Peckham
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Why choose / reverse harem
- Killer Candy
Killer Candy
Holly Bloom
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Why choose / reverse harem
- Blade of Iris
Blade of Iris
K. A. Knight
Spice ●●●●●Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Why choose / reverse harem
- Awakening
Awakening
Lee Savino
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- Bear
Bear
Leila James
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Why choose / reverse harem, Enemies to lovers
- Buttons & Hate
Buttons & Hate
Penelope Sky
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- F*ckboy Psychos
F*ckboy Psychos
C.M. Stunich
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Why choose / reverse harem, Enemies to lovers
Books like Red Handed, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of Red Handed?
Red Handed spice level is 4 of 5 (Explicit). On-page sex, clearly written. Darkness is a separate score: 4 of 5 (Pitch).
What are the Red Handed trigger warnings?
Graphic: none flagged. Moderate: Murder, Violence, Bullying, War. Minor: Organised crime, Crime. Warnings not yet verified against the author's own list. Check it before you start.
Is Red Handed dark romance?
Yes, firmly. Red Handed scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch). Bleak on purpose. Comfort is not the job.
What tropes are in Red Handed?
On this shelf Red Handed is filed under Mafia dark romance, Why choose / reverse harem and Enemies to lovers.
Who is Red Handed 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 Red Handed?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: Maniacs by Sheridan Anne; Forget-Me-Not Bombshell by Caroline Peckham; Killer Candy by Holly Bloom; Blade of Iris by K. A. Knight; Awakening by Lee Savino; Bear by Leila James. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/red-handed.
Is Red Handed a standalone?
No. Red Handed is book 1 of 1 in the The Gentlemen series by Kate King.
What order should I read the The Gentlemen series in?
1. Red Handed.
How many books are in the The Gentlemen series?
The The Gentlemen series by Kate King has 1 main book.
What is the Red Handed 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.
Join on Patreon for the Zade Masked serial.