Tainted Hearts · 2018
The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1Spice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
by Lylah James
Spice 4/5 (Explicit) · Darkness 4/5 (Pitch) · 3 trigger warnings flagged
The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 is book 4 of Tainted Hearts by Lylah James, first out in 2018. It sits in the mafia and possessive heroes corner of the shelf. 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: 24 July 2018 (first publication, per Goodreads). Book 4 of Tainted Hearts.
The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 tropes
On this shelf, The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 is filed under Mafia dark romance and Possessive heroes. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 spice level
Is The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 dark romance?
Yes, firmly. The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More pitch books. How we rate.
The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 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 The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 trigger warnings
Tainted Hearts reading order
The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 is book 4 of 2 in Lylah James's Tainted Hearts series. Start with The Mafia and His Angel: Part 3.
- Book 3 The Mafia and His Angel: Part 3 · 2017
- Book 4 The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 (this book) · 2018
Order checked against the Goodreads Tainted Hearts series page on 13 October 2026. The Tainted Hearts 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 The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- Monster in His Eyes
Monster in His Eyes
J.M. Darhower
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Possessive heroes
- Cal
Cal
B.J. Alpha
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Possessive heroes
- Heartless Beloved
Heartless Beloved
Lola King
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Possessive heroes
- Keeping Lily
Keeping Lily
Izzy Sweet
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Possessive heroes
- Sinners Consumed
Sinners Consumed
Somme Sketcher
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Possessive heroes
- The Dominator
The Dominator
D.D. Prince
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Possessive heroes
- A Little Bit Dirty
A Little Bit Dirty
Willow Winters
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Possessive heroes
- A Single Glance
A Single Glance
Willow Winters
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Possessive heroes
Books like The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1?
The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 spice level is 4 of 5 (Explicit). On-page sex, clearly written. Darkness is a separate score: 4 of 5 (Pitch).
What are the The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 trigger warnings?
Graphic: none flagged. Moderate: Murder, Obsession. Minor: Death. Warnings not yet verified against the author's own list. Check it before you start.
Is The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 dark romance?
Yes, firmly. The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch). Bleak on purpose. Comfort is not the job.
What tropes are in The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1?
On this shelf The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 is filed under Mafia dark romance and Possessive heroes.
Who is The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 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 The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: Monster in His Eyes by J.M. Darhower; Cal by B.J. Alpha; Heartless Beloved by Lola King; Keeping Lily by Izzy Sweet; Sinners Consumed by Somme Sketcher; The Dominator by D.D. Prince. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/the-mafia-and-his-obsession-part-1.
Is The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 a standalone?
No. The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 is book 4 of 2 in the Tainted Hearts series by Lylah James. The series starts with The Mafia and His Angel: Part 3.
What order should I read the Tainted Hearts series in?
3. The Mafia and His Angel: Part 3; 4. The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1.
How many books are in the Tainted Hearts series?
The Tainted Hearts series by Lylah James has 2 main books.
What is the The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 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.