This was my first Tijan book and my first Mafia Romance, so I didn't really know what to expect. I loved the short chapters and the pace of the book, at almost 450 pages I was worried it might drag but I flew through it.

I liked the different characters and the struggle of a parole officer and a mafia man falling in love. Jess, the parole officer was a strong female lead and she came across hard when she needed to and had a softer side. Some of the side characters were very unlikeable which was refreshing for a dark romance.

I did feel that at times the relationship was a little toxic and it really pushed the forbidden romance to the limit. I also didn't find there was enough spice for me. There was a lot of tension in this book and some of the scenes were very graphic so it would be good for there to be trigger warnings. Sometimes the story rambles a bit and the plot gets a little lost but the dramatics kept me reading.

Overall, A Dirty Business, was ok. I am looking forward to the continuation of the series as it ended on a huge cliffhanger which left me wanting more. I do wish a little more had happened and the relationship was more developed but I still managed to fall in love with Jess and Tristan.

4 ½ Stars for Mafia romance!

This book drew me in right from the first chapter. The twists and turns had me turning the pages into the wee hours of the morning. Jess is a very strong female who knows how to protect herself and I loved her grit and sarcasm. She didn't take crap from anyone. Then there's Trace ... even though he was involved in his family's business and was considered a bad guy, he really didn't want to be. Hold onto your hat for this wild ride. Oh yeah ,,, we don't get all the answers to the burning questions and then there's the little fact of a cliff-hanger! I hate them ,,, but I also love them ,,, lol

Jess is a parole officer who works a bartending job on the weekends to make ends meet. After all, since her father was killed, she helps her acholic mother out. Then there's the fact that her brother is in prison for killing their father. When she gets stuck in a stairwell at a hockey game, she meets a devastatingly handsome man who she can just tell is very wealthy ... probably some trust fund guy. She thought he was going to help her, but she was wrong ... he walks out the door and it slams behind him, leaving her trapped in the stairwell.

Trace is an investor on Wall Street during the day, but he is also on call for his family ... his mafia family. There is no love lost between Trace and his father. Trace's Uncle Steph has been more of a father to him than his father ever will be. Uncle Steph is grooming Trace to take over as head of the family, but Trace doesn't know if he wants to remain in the criminal lifestyle, never mind being the head of the family. Trace and his best friend Asher have legal businesses that they manage together and they have been very successful. He doesn't need his family's money. From the minute he encountered Jess in that stairwell, he is captivated by her and will do anything to get her in his bed. The chemistry between Jess and Chase is like liquid fire ... you know that someone is going to get burned.

I received an early copy courtesy of Montlake through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

This is my first book by Tijan.
For me it started out a bit slow, it definitely did pick up. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters .
Jess & Trace are from opposites sides of the law but all it takes is that chance encounter for two people to be brought together.
The steam was there not as hot as I like but Jess and Trace did bring it. The story line developed well .it did end in a cliff hanger. I can’t wait for more, I have questions and I need more answers.
Over all good read. I need to try some of her other books.

First off thank you to Amazon Publishing and Netgalley for letting me read thus ARC.

This book was WOW!! I love anything Tijan writes but this one was so good. Trace is my newest obsession lol. Trace is from a Mafia family and falls for Jess who is of all things an officer whose family also had ties to the Mafia. This book really pulled me in and I couldn't put it down. And that ending, OMG! The next book can't come soon enough. And there's even mention of a previous Tijan character which I absolutely loved.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I'm invested! That cliffhanger! I will be needing the sequel immediately

I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story but it picked up and I was invested in Jess and Trace's journey. It rolled along at a good pace, both characters were likable, and the entourage brought some side storylines that added depth to the story. I had not realized that this was not standalone so I was a little surprised at the end.

Trace and Jess. One from the criminal underworld, the other a parole officer. But then their worlds collide and they can’t deny the attraction between them.

When parole officer Jess Montell meets mafia boss Trace West at a hockey game sparks fly. That is until they realise they are on the opposite sides of the law. A cop and a criminal - it’s never going to work. Or is it? The pull is strong, and fate seems to want them to be together. No matter how hard they fight it, no matter how much they are warned to stay away from each other. There are so many different things at play in this story. Family drama from all sides, so many connections between all the characters, it definitely kept me on my toes. Decisions to be made, not always the right ones in my opinion., I didn’t like anything that kept these two apart. I loved them together. The protective alpha and the independent cop with attitude. Lots of action, lots of surprises. Highly entertaining. I can’t wait to see where book 2 takes us, there’s so much more to explore in this world of secrets and organised crime. I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest review.

I used to read everything that the author has wrote years ago especially her indie titles and I was looking forward to read this book now.
Same great writing, amazing chemistry and some unexpected moments and scenes in here.
Tijan can always build a wonderful world through her stories and they always fulfils my cravings for a happily ever after even in a dark romance story.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

A Dirty Business was my first experience reading this author's work and it won't be the last based on this read! Wow, this didn't feel like the "typical" mafia novel to me in a good way. It's quite the long read but the plot moved and never dragged so I didn't feel like I was reading a massively long book. And speaking of the plot -- there are some really intense moments that had me chewing my nails! I really liked Jess -- she's a take no excuses kind of girl and stands her ground in some pretty extreme circumstances and doesn't back down. There was a moment at the beginning of Jess and Trace's interactions that I thought maybe they weren't meant to be, but the story line was so well written that I soon became quite invested in both of these characters. There are some secondary story lines that really add to the uniqueness of this book as well. I have to say, I didn't know it would end in a cliffhanger but that fact doesn't deter me from giving it the 4.5 star rating that I feel it deserves. I'm grateful to have been given an advance copy of this book through NetGalley.

3.5 Stars!
I was excited to find out Tijan was giving us a start to a new mafia series this year. Here are my thoughts on the first book, A Dirty Business.

THE WRITING
It's classic Tijan. If you've read one of her books, you know what I mean. It's a little rambling and redundant at times but feels like coming home and is addictive. This one, being traditionally published, seemed a little more polished. I always love her short chapters. 

THE PLOT
For a long time, I wasn't sure where this story was going. There's some parole officer stuff, some mafia stuff, some friends stuff... I couldn't see how it was all going to fit together until it did. The romance helped bring it all together. 

THE CHARACTERS
I liked Jess and Trace. Jess was conflicted about a lot of stuff but was a badass (for a lack of better word, sorry!) She came across hard when she needed to be, but also had a softer side. Trace was all business. He came at everything with determination. I did think their characters sounded a little too similar at times, but not enough that I couldn't tell whose POV I was reading. 

I didn't have strong feelings about any of the side characters other than Ashton and Chelsea. Chelsea made me mad, and Ashton made me madder. That's all I'll say for now.

THE ROMANCE
Jess and Trace had strong chemistry. There was a lot of lust and obsession in their relationship. In some books that would come off as a toxic relationship. Tijan always manages to make it work, and it did for these two. I liked that so much together that I wanted more moments where they were. Hopefully in the next book.

WAIT. Did I just say next book? Yep. There's a cliffhanger that left me wanting more. You've been warned!

THE DRAMA
This is a mafia romance and it's Tijan, so you know there's going to be drama. It hit hard while also somehow feeling light? I don't even know how to explain it. Normally, I would have expected mafia romance to feel super dark with the violence, but this one didn't have that tone. I liked it. It made this book standout. 

OVERALL THOUGHTS
I liked this book a lot. It kept my attention and had me waiting to find out what was next. I liked the relationship. I just wanted more action and more of the relationship. Nothing really felt like it was happening until the last half. That was fine because I was getting to know everyone, but it could have been a more explosive story. I'm excited to find out what comes next.

Instant attraction at first glance, leads to curiosity about each other at second meeting. Polar opposite repel as from different sides of the criminal underworld and the law profession.
Hidden family history that surfaces as the attraction intensifies.
Can they be together? Can they separate professional lives from their private lives, will family let them?
Follow the intense story to it's climatic conclusion

What a wild ride! I loved A Dirty Business. It was amazing. I couldn’t bear to put it down. This book man this book did a number on me emotionally. I was fully invested from page one. I can’t sing it’s praises loud enough. It was so good. Do yourself a favour and go read it. The only thing I hate is that I have to wait until next year to see what happens next. I still highly recommend it though.

This year should be known as “the year I became obsessed with mafia romance.” There’s just something about watching a strong male lead lose control of his emotions over a woman. When I was browsing through NetGalley and came across this title, I immediately knew I needed to read this book.

Jess is a dedicated parole officer; a true follower of the law that struggles with anything that falls in the gray area between right and wrong. And there’s plenty of gray area in her life; her mother is an alcoholic, her brother is in prison for murdering their father, and she works weekends at a bar run by a budding mafia prince. Trace is a Wall Street player with a family generations deep in mob activity, being groomed by his uncle to lead the family business sooner than Trace would like. When he meets Jess there is an instant attraction; but since they fall on opposite sides of the law they seek ways to push each other away. Eventually their attraction becomes too powerful to avoid any longer…and both are forced to make life altering decisions to be with one another.

This book is a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I was tempted to rate it higher, but the ending has a cliffhanger twist that soured my rating. That being said, I could not put it down. This is a classic “he falls first” scenario and Trace’s attempts to protect Jess from his lifestyle is very attractive to the reader!

Wowza!! I don't usually read many mafia romances, but Tijan did a great job with this book!! This book pulled me in from the very beginning and the suspense kept me reading. I loved Jess's character, she is a strong woman who can definitely hold her own place. The back and forth between the two MCs had me entralled. I can't wait to see what comes next after this book!

This book was a typical Mafia trope but was a book I completely devoured. This book is extremely well-written and mature for a romance. This book is more believable than most because Jess the main character is very professional. She has a very interesting job as a parole officer which is something you don't read about all the time. This added a lot more to the story because of the tension between Jess and Trace. This is a slow burn but had just the right amount of sexy. It is the forbidden romance you have all been waiting for. I can not wait for the next book by this author. This was a 5 out of 5 stars for me and will be recommended to all my followers.

From New York Times bestselling author Tijan comes a raw, tempestuous romance between the criminal underworld and a parole officer that paints a thin line between right and wrong.

When Jess Montell meets Trace West at a hockey game, she doesn’t know his name or occupation. What she does know is there’s an instant attraction that’s impossible to ignore—or forget. And forgetting is exactly what she wants to do when she learns he’s not just a successful Wall Street suit but the heir to one of New York’s biggest Mafia families.

The last thing Trace needs is a romantic anything with law enforcement, and parole officer Jess has trouble written all over her. Too bad he likes trouble. Especially when it’s a brunette bombshell with attitude and legs for days.

She’s an absolute spitfire, and he wants to stoke that flame.

Trace didn’t ask for the Mafia life. Jess doesn’t want any part of it. They both know it’s safer to stay away, but the temptation is too hard to resist—no matter how great the danger.


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I always wanted to like Tijan's books. I have tried one book by the author and dnf'ed it. Now I give this author a second-chance but I again and again stopped in the middle and I can't continue. I dnf'ed again.
Thanks Netgalley and Montlake for the ARC!

I don't even know where to begin. Requested this book on a whim because I was looking for something different. Well Tijan, you do not disappoint. Romance and Mafia, yes please!! I literally could not put this book down. The unpredictable path this story leads you on is a whirlwind and I then to leave me wanting more. Pure genius. I can not wait to see what is to come in this series because I am hooked. The characters through this story are fit so perfectly with such strong personalities. This was a fast paced read and keep me wanting more. I loved the alternating viewpoints from both Jess and Trace and the whole inner workings of the "Family Business." Definitely could say this is my favorite read of 2022!!

Tijan never disappoints me. I was hooked on to this book from the very beginning and was mesmerised by the characters since page one and was thoroughly immersed into it till the last word. I could not seem to get enough of it. The only dirty thing about this book was cliffhanger 😭 but that was expected.. I can’t wait enough to read the next instalment already!!

So many positive reviews for this book exist and I have to say, I don't believe them. The main characters are flat, the story convoluted and unbelievable, the writing less than elegant. To make it even worse, this is book one of a series and had I known in advance, I wouldn't have requested it.

Spice rating - zero.