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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the second book in the Beneath the Mask series and tells Grayson and Maddie's dark mafia romance. I was super excited to read this one and think Luna did a good job portraying the passion these two had sizzling between each other, whether in anger, teasing, or love!
It delves into Grayson's background so we get more of an understanding of who he is, and as the story progressed, I feel like he had the most character development. Maddie also has some character growth, but keeps her fun, playful, bubbly sunshine personality! There is quite a bit of spice, and the plot, of course, brings you into the New York mafia underworld Luna has built. There is a little surprise with some of the other characters towards the end of the book and sets up for more character stories in the series.
This book was a fast read and is great for fans of dark mafia romances with lots of spice! Next in the series is Devoted, which tells Luca and Rosa's story, and I am eager to jump into that one!
It delves into Grayson's background so we get more of an understanding of who he is, and as the story progressed, I feel like he had the most character development. Maddie also has some character growth, but keeps her fun, playful, bubbly sunshine personality! There is quite a bit of spice, and the plot, of course, brings you into the New York mafia underworld Luna has built. There is a little surprise with some of the other characters towards the end of the book and sets up for more character stories in the series.
This book was a fast read and is great for fans of dark mafia romances with lots of spice! Next in the series is Devoted, which tells Luca and Rosa's story, and I am eager to jump into that one!
dark
fast-paced
Was cute but felt quite samey to the first one
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
A dark, explosive fusion of mafia suspense and steamy romance.
Grayson walked away from the special forces—and everything he knew—after a devastating betrayal, building a double life in New York as a respected boxing trainer by day and a lethal Mafia hitman by night. He thrived in the shadows, free from attachments, until one unexpected kiss from Maddie—his polar opposite—threw his carefully crafted world into chaos. Maddie, tired of failed romances and chasing fairytales, never expected to fall for the one man she should have feared. But Grayson's darkness calls to her light, and despite the danger, neither can let go. Now they must confront whether love can survive in a world built on blood and secrets.
At its core, it’s the addictive hate-to-lovers tale of Maddie and Grayson—complete with biting banter, emotional denial, and off-the-charts chemistry—but it doesn’t stop there. The story is injected with the high-stakes grit of organized crime, a brutal and bloody world that adds layers of tension and danger to an already electric romance.
Grayson’s duality is one of the most compelling aspects of the book: on one hand, he’s lethal and unflinching in the field, taking out enemies with cold precision; on the other, he’s a man broken by past betrayals, afraid of closeness, and unwilling to let himself believe in something as soft as love. His complexity is magnetic. Maddie is driven by a yearning for fairy tale love. She’s soft, stubborn, and determined to prove to her mother and herself that she’s worthy of a perfect love story. But Grayson is no storybook prince. He’s dangerous, emotionally unavailable, and quite literally soaked in blood. Yet, in true dark romance fashion, Maddie finds herself drawn to the very things she should fear.
Their relationship crackles with tension and desire. The spicy scenes are unapologetically open-door and take no prisoners—raw, visceral, and completely immersive. Scenes lean hard into domination, fear, and emotional vulnerability, delivering scenes that blur the line between pain and pleasure in all the ways dark romance readers crave.
As Grayson spirals deeper into a deadly war with the Falcone family, the emotional stakes rise with the physical ones. The violence intensifies, the secrets pile up, and Maddie becomes his one soft spot in a brutal world. Protecting her becomes his mission—but at what cost?
Detonate delivers a story of flawed people finding salvation in each other. Grayson and Maddie’s love is messy, consuming, and anything but safe—and that’s exactly what makes it so unforgettable.
Grayson walked away from the special forces—and everything he knew—after a devastating betrayal, building a double life in New York as a respected boxing trainer by day and a lethal Mafia hitman by night. He thrived in the shadows, free from attachments, until one unexpected kiss from Maddie—his polar opposite—threw his carefully crafted world into chaos. Maddie, tired of failed romances and chasing fairytales, never expected to fall for the one man she should have feared. But Grayson's darkness calls to her light, and despite the danger, neither can let go. Now they must confront whether love can survive in a world built on blood and secrets.
At its core, it’s the addictive hate-to-lovers tale of Maddie and Grayson—complete with biting banter, emotional denial, and off-the-charts chemistry—but it doesn’t stop there. The story is injected with the high-stakes grit of organized crime, a brutal and bloody world that adds layers of tension and danger to an already electric romance.
Grayson’s duality is one of the most compelling aspects of the book: on one hand, he’s lethal and unflinching in the field, taking out enemies with cold precision; on the other, he’s a man broken by past betrayals, afraid of closeness, and unwilling to let himself believe in something as soft as love. His complexity is magnetic. Maddie is driven by a yearning for fairy tale love. She’s soft, stubborn, and determined to prove to her mother and herself that she’s worthy of a perfect love story. But Grayson is no storybook prince. He’s dangerous, emotionally unavailable, and quite literally soaked in blood. Yet, in true dark romance fashion, Maddie finds herself drawn to the very things she should fear.
Their relationship crackles with tension and desire. The spicy scenes are unapologetically open-door and take no prisoners—raw, visceral, and completely immersive. Scenes lean hard into domination, fear, and emotional vulnerability, delivering scenes that blur the line between pain and pleasure in all the ways dark romance readers crave.
As Grayson spirals deeper into a deadly war with the Falcone family, the emotional stakes rise with the physical ones. The violence intensifies, the secrets pile up, and Maddie becomes his one soft spot in a brutal world. Protecting her becomes his mission—but at what cost?
Detonate delivers a story of flawed people finding salvation in each other. Grayson and Maddie’s love is messy, consuming, and anything but safe—and that’s exactly what makes it so unforgettable.
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Detonate is book two in the Beneath the Mask series. Detonate is Grayson and Maddie’s story.
They hate each other, have for a year. They love working each other up and taunting each other. But secretly they crave the other but never think it can happen. Grayson is a hitman for the mafia with a dangerous job and a traumatic past. Maddie is under her mother’s thumb to find the perfect man.
I feel like Detonate could’ve used more descriptive scenes and backstory on how Grayson operated within the mafia. His character needed to be built up more. I also felt the feud between the falconers and Luca was just briefly part of the book and all we saw was some injuries.
What’s the deal with Frankie? Why do I feel so half in, half out with that guy. I’m undecided. Hopefully his story comes out.
The spice is definitely there as Luna never disappoints in that area.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
They hate each other, have for a year. They love working each other up and taunting each other. But secretly they crave the other but never think it can happen. Grayson is a hitman for the mafia with a dangerous job and a traumatic past. Maddie is under her mother’s thumb to find the perfect man.
I feel like Detonate could’ve used more descriptive scenes and backstory on how Grayson operated within the mafia. His character needed to be built up more. I also felt the feud between the falconers and Luca was just briefly part of the book and all we saw was some injuries.
What’s the deal with Frankie? Why do I feel so half in, half out with that guy. I’m undecided. Hopefully his story comes out.
The spice is definitely there as Luna never disappoints in that area.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Mafia Romance! Definitely Detonated! Maddie and Grayson story is fun, destructive, and obsessed!! Grayson, a former special forces operative turned boxing trainer and mafia hitman, and Maddie, a woman seeking love but drawn to danger. The banter and bickering, tension filled, story is spicy and delicious! I loved it!
4⭐️ 4🌶️
I want to start off with saying that I thought this was a fun read but I wouldn’t take it too seriously. I’m just here for a fun time, and for me this gave it. The dedication literally says “villains fuck better”, which is basically the entire vibe this book gives. If you want something that gets spicy pretty much from the get go this is for you. We are talking instant lust. This is not a slow burn. This was a fun read. There was toxicity which honestly is to be expected when we are talking about the MMC being a villain. The MMC is ex-military turned mafia, which I thought was kind of fun. The characters inner turmoil about wanting to be in a relationship, but also thinking their situation isn’t ideal makes sense. Overall I enjoyed this and hope you do too!
I want to start off with saying that I thought this was a fun read but I wouldn’t take it too seriously. I’m just here for a fun time, and for me this gave it. The dedication literally says “villains fuck better”, which is basically the entire vibe this book gives. If you want something that gets spicy pretty much from the get go this is for you. We are talking instant lust. This is not a slow burn. This was a fun read. There was toxicity which honestly is to be expected when we are talking about the MMC being a villain. The MMC is ex-military turned mafia, which I thought was kind of fun. The characters inner turmoil about wanting to be in a relationship, but also thinking their situation isn’t ideal makes sense. Overall I enjoyed this and hope you do too!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes