Enemies-to-lovers? Check. A mysterious, brooding man. Check. Spicy chapters. Double check. The Maddest Obsession is everything I want in my romance books and then some. Plus, it's a mafia romance that has unexpectedly become a morally-grey guilty pleasure of mine lately. (Kindle | Paperback)
In the following article, I've answered all the questions I had before and while reading the book, as well as put together a list of books like The Maddest Obsession for those of us who enjoyed it so much that we want more of the same. (Warning: This article contains spoilers)
What Is the Book The Maddest Obsession About?
Agent Christian Allister is cold, dangerous, perceptive, and handsome as all hell. He's the exact opposite of the beautiful, wild, and messy, Gianna Russo. But it's like they say, opposites attract. The Maddest Obsession is a mafia enemies-to-lovers romance that takes place over the course of five years between Christian and Gianna. Their relationship is electric, tense, and tumultuous which obviously makes good banter and even better sex.
Is The Maddest Obsession Appropriate?
No, The Maddest Obsession is not appropriate and should only be read by mature audiences given that the trigger warnings for it include sexual assault, drugs/alcohol, cheating, child neglect, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and panic attacks.
What Are the Spicy Chapters in The Maddest Obsession?
If you're looking for spice, then you've come to the right place because The Maddest Obsession has lots of it, particularly in chapters 6, 14, 19, 21, 22, 24, and 30.
How Long Does It Take to Read The Maddest Obsession?
According to How Long to Read, it will take the average reader approximately 4 hours and 10 minutes to read The Maddest Obsession.
How Old Are Gianna and Christian?
In the present day (part two of the book), Gianna is 28 years old and Christian is 33 years old, which means there is a 5-year age gap between them. While Christian's age is never specifically said, at one point Gianna does mention that she was 14 when Christian was released from prison at 19.
Is The Maddest Obsession a Standalone?
No, The Maddest Obsession is not meant to be read as a standalone, although I think you could manage it. It is the second book in the Made series and the author, Danielle Lori, herself even recommends reading the series in the following order:
The Sweetest Oblivion - Elena and Nico
The Maddest Obsession - Gianna and Christian
The Darkest Temptation - Mila and Ronan
The Purest Addiction - Sebastian and TBD (*Coming Soon)
Why Is Gianna Afraid of the Dark?
Gianna is afraid of the dark because she was sexually assaulted by one of her father's friends as a child: "He touched me. My face, my hair, my... everywhere. But only after the lights were off."
What Happened to Christian? Why Was He Sent to Prison?
When Christian was 5 years old his mother allowed him and his brother to be sexually assaulted by her clients. At 7 years old, he killed one of the men who was assaulting his brother in hopes of scaring them off. Then when Christian was 13 years old, his intoxicated mother attempted to assault him herself. After fighting her off, she began choking on her own vomit but instead of helping her Christian and his brother let her die. They were both sent to prison for her murder.
Does The Maddest Obsession Have a Happy Ending?
Yes - The Maddest Obsession does have a happy ending! Gianna finds out she is pregnant with Christian's child and when she tells him, they are both very happy about the news. Within the next year, they get married and have a daughter named Katherine.
5 Books Like The Maddest Obsession by Danielle Lori
If you're anything like me, then The Maddest Obsession probably left you wanting another mafia-style romance with a possessive, alpha male. If so, then I highly suggest checking out these five similar books:
Run Posy Run by Cate C. Wells
The Kiss Thief by L.J. Shen
Morally Corrupt by Veronica Lancet
Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark
Truth by Trilina Pucci
1. Run Posy Run by Cate C. Wells
Logically, we know that Christian's obsession with Gianna is problematic and would be scary in real life. And yet, in books like The Maddest Obsession it just... works? Well, if that's your thing and you want another book that delivers in that area, then you're going to want to check out Run Rosy Run. As GoodReads reviewer Ainhoa put it, "It has some heavily damaged characters and of course, as the severely unstable person that I am when reading my books, [the main character's] kind of psychopathy is everything I want to read about."
2. The Kiss Thief by L.J. Shen
In the world of mafia romances, one book stands out as the gold standard many readers hold all else against, and that's The Kiss Thief by L.J. Shen. I'm telling you, just look at the rave reviews its past readers have left on GoodReads. Also, like The Maddest Obsession, it is a true enemies-to-lovers story that features a male lead described as "ruthless, cunning, aloof, mysterious, blunt yet possessive," which sounds an awful lot like Christian if you ask me.
3. Morally Corrupt by Veronica Lancet
More often than not, it seems that the male lead in mafia romances is the dark and dangerous one. But not in Morally Corrupt by Veronica Lacent. In it, the female lead, Bianca, is described as a "high-functioning sociopath with a co*ke addiction who always had a penchant for murder and mayhem," while the male lead is described as a "man of the law." Morally Corrupt shares a lot of similar elements to The Maddest Obsession but Veronica uses and arranges them in a totally different way, which should make it feel similar enough without being boring.
4. Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark
Set in the world of the Chicago mafia, Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark is another enemies-to-lovers romance. However, unlike some enemies-to-lovers books, the main characters begin as legitimate enemies. So much so, that the female lead attempts to kill her husband at the wedding altar by eating strawberries (which he's deathly allergic to) before their first kiss as husband and wife.
5. Truth by Trilina Pucci
If you love mafia romances, alpha males, and spice, but don't exactly want to dive into another full-length book, then Truth by Trilina Pucci is your next stop. It's a quick 269-page read that's described as a "hot, fast-paced mafia romance with an instant connection between two flawed, stubborn people that fight like hell to ignore their fate." Plus, it's the first book in the three-part Sinful series, so if you like it, you'll have others to read like it afterward.
