I LOVED this book so much. Talk about an obsessive mmc!! He is all kind of red flags but in the most delicious way😏
And Blake- we have this delicate and good girl appearance but oh boy if you get on her wrong side she got some moves!!!

Loved the tension and the slow burn the plot kept me hooked and I just Finished reading this book in one sitting.

Tijan does it again! A Hateful Negotiation is a dark, slow-burn mafia romance that had me hooked from the very first page. Creighton is everything I love in a mafia hero—dangerous, ruthless, and a little unhinged (ok maybe a lot🫣)—but when it comes to Blake, he’s all in, protective to the point of obsession👀.

Blake just wants normal, but nothing about her life with Creighton circling her world is normal. The foster-sibling angle, the age gap, and all that back-and-forth tension made their story so addictive. Their “negotiation” really did feel like a battle of wills😬 And y’all the chemistry & tension between them is off the charts.

This book gave me everything I love in mafia romance—angst, obsession, loyalty, danger, and a love story that hits hard once those walls finally break down. Creighton and Blake are dark, messy, and unforgettable, and I loved every second of it.

This was my first Tijan book and she has such an immersive writing style. I love how she kept up my level of anticipation - I needed to know what was going to happen next. The relationship between the 2 MC is deep, dark and emotional and I couldn’t get enough. Perfect level of slow burn and action.

This was a really dark mafia love story. We finally get Blake's love story. After reading the previous books in the series, you may need to read them before starting this book. I enjoyed the previous books, but this story was too dark for my taste. My main issue is that Creighton killed an 8th grader simply because Blake got a black eye. I'm sorry I'm not a fan of stories that involve kids being killed. Just not my thing at all. And how was I supposed to cheer for this guy?! Guys that Blake wanted to date found mysteriously dead. Which felt excessive.  I liked the new roommates and friends. They added hope to the story.  The love story that developed between Creighton and Blake was slow, but very rewarding. I do wish there were more love scenes between them. I liked how they evolved as a couple. The ending was perfect.  Overall the love story was good. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my review.

This was such an addictive slow burn! The writing really pulled me in, and I loved every character. Blake and Creighton’s chemistry was slow, intense, and completely captivating. I especially loved how the author gave Creighton this menacing, dangerous aura, yet showed such a different side to him with his foster siblings—it made him so layered and fascinating.

The secondary characters were great as well, and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of their stories in the future (which I’d absolutely love).

Overall, this was a dark, tense, and thoroughly enjoyable read. I enjoyed it tremendously and will definitely be picking up more of Tijan’s novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Spicy, violent, obsessive, and totally addictive mafia romance with several unique twists. Foster kids, one a smart, ambitious and obsessive sociopath and the other a guarded but caring wanna be psychologist - opposite, but alike in many ways with a lifetime of shared experience. From found family to love, maybe some blood along the way ...

Title: A Hateful Negotiation
Author: Tijan

What to expect:
*Mafia romance
*Virgin FMC
*Foster family/home

Pros:
I love an unhinged psychopath MMC!!! Creighton was only a good person for Blake, and he would burn the world to the ground if anyone ever hurt her. Blake is definitely Creighton’s moral compass.

Cons:
This is my first time reading this author, it was written very well but there are a lot of side characters in this story that I’m assuming have their own books in her universe. I wasn’t lost in the story but I could have benefited by reading some of her prior books first to get the characters straight.

Safety:
No OW/OM drama within the relationship. Some graphic violence to side characters. Does have a third act breakup, neither of the main characters are with others during the break.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Format: NetGalley ebook
Genre: Contemporary fiction, romance
Overall score:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Characters: Blake (FMC) & Creighton (MMC)

I love the story line the most, it wasn't moving too fast with too much in one period instead it was more slow burn. there is a few words I wouldn't of chosen to use in the context they were in but otherwise it was a great story. I wish there was a little more background on the parents of the main characters and what happened with them.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ☆

I went into this book expecting dark, messy, and over-the-top drama—and that’s exactly what I got.

Creighton is every bit the ruthless, possessive antihero Tijan promised. He’s dangerous, obsessive, and just the right amount of unhinged to make you question why you’re rooting for him anyway. Blake, on the other hand, just wants a normal college year, but with Creighton shadowing her every move, “normal” is impossible. Their chemistry is sharp, chaotic, and kind of addictive.

What I loved:

The slow-burn tension. Tijan knows how to stretch out that push-and-pull until you’re practically yelling at the characters to just admit their feelings.

The stakes. Mafia undertones, constant threats, New York backdrop—it never feels boring.

The emotional messiness. It’s not clean or simple, but that’s part of the fun.


What didn’t fully land for me:

Sometimes the balance between mafia danger and college life felt a little clunky. I wanted a bit more of Blake outside of the chaos.

Creighton being openly described as a “psychopath” is… intense. If that trope isn’t your thing, this might not hit right.


Overall, this is dark, angsty, and highly addictive. If you’re into morally grey antiheroes, obsessive love, and romance that feels more like a storm than a sunny day, you’ll probably devour this.

Would definitely recommend to fans of mafia romance and Tijan’s signature brand of drama-filled love stories.

An intense filled read with lots of emotional development for our characters.

I loved the setting of this story, there was enough back story chapters to learn about the characters but not too much that it felt heavy on what happened in the past. The characters were so well defined and consistent, they're instantly engaging and I loved the dynamic between the 'family'.

There were aspects that I felt were a little repetitive, like Blake being kidnapped again, and again but I can understand this was all leading up to defining Blake as a 'key player' in the mafia world in her own right, not just as Creighton's woman.

Creighton's character development was by far the best part of the story, the way he listened and responded to Blake's needs, even though emotions are clearly not his forte, he respected Blake enough to try, and that's something huge!

Whelp - a psycho who’s in love with a normal person but doesn’t know he’s in love with her… he just thinks he obsessed with her…. Would literally do anything for her. Would even kill for her….
And Blake is the woman who met him when she was 8 and always felt protected by him. As an adult, she fluctuates between being in love, being annoyed, hating him, being frustrated by him…
She mentions his dead eyes.
She mentions his blank face.
It’s kind of a creepy love if you ask me, but somehow the story works and I loved it all!!!

I love mafia romances and this book checks all the boxes!! I loved reading Tijan, this was my first book by her and won’t be my last! The tension and slow burn was perfect, I loved the characters and their development. This whole book was *chefs kiss 🤌🏻

A Hateful Negotiation
Blake has had a terrible start in life, moved from different foster homes where she experienced being starved, neglected, unloved and even violence.
Finally moved to a foster home at age 8 years where she is finally treated with love and affection she meets Creighton and his foster brothers and the grow up together becoming very close knit. Creighton is obsessed with Blake ensuring she is always protected and will and does kill anyone who tries to harm her.
At first I found it difficult to on board with all the characters and their roles and particularly all the other rival mafia gangs. With much action and violence this couple navigate their emotions both needing the other in their lives.
A hard hitting story but ultimately a romance with a lot of emotion.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

I'm new to this author so I didnt know what to expect.

I've read dark romance before but this isn't it. I had to stop when a flash back said the morally grey mmc cut a child's hand off and killed another one. Umm no. There's killing bag guys and mafia etc but you don't go killing kids.
It's sick and all wrong. Shocked this even got to publication with this in

Thank you Montlake and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

A Hateful Negotiation gave me all the mafia romance feels I was looking for. Creighton and Blake’s relationship is full of tension, chemistry, and that dangerous protectiveness that makes mafia romances so addictive. I loved their pull toward each other and how the story kept me turning the pages.

At the same time, some parts felt a little dragged and repetitive, especially with the constant danger Blake faced. Their love and backstories had so much room to grow, and I wished we saw more of that. Still, if you enjoy an obsessed hero, a strong but insecure heroine, and all the “touch her and die” vibes, this book will give you exactly that.

ARC review

Touch her and die— Obsession
Past and present story lines
Spice 3 🌶️🌶️🌶️

TBH this was almost a DNF for me and not because it was bad but because it was just absurdly unrelatable for me and it turns out I am not a fan of mafia storylines I guess.. this was my first (and last) mafia book. I don’t care for the politics involved.
BUT if you are into the mega obsessive touch her and die trope, this is right up your alley!
While reading this I was getting heavy Gotham city vibes. And their relationship struck me as the joker and Harley Quinn (pre-breakup) ((but Harley has a conscious)). Also, Dexter (psycho with a moral compass).
By the end you realize they are both a product of their broken foster care up bringing and I did actually love the commentary of that f’d up aspect of our society.

I was expecting something along the vein of Carter Reed or Cole but this was lacking. Is this a sequel? And I just missed a book. There was alot of context missing. Characters were mentioned like I’m supposed to know who they are but zero previous reference. How did Blake learn to defend herself? Why mention Cole’s club if he not going to make an appearance, especially after an employee kidnaps a rivals woman. Tristan and Ashton sound like preppy frat boys and not mafia leaders. 3.5 stars.

A slow burn mafia and an MMC who’s obsessed with the FMC

Thank you for the arc, I really enjoyed reading this! I loved Creighton and Blake and the dynamic of their relationship and the chemistry between them. Blake just wants to live a normal life but Creighton is always watching 👀 obsessive and dangerous.

This was a great read and really had me hooked! The characters were great and it was so well written, the story also well written and if you love a good Mafia touch her and die kinda vibes book then you’ll definitely love this!

After reading the last book, A Captive Situation, I was ecstatic to finally dive into Blake and Creighton’s story.

Blake and Creighton were orphans who came from a broken foster system. The moment a young, bruised Blake arrived at the driveway of her new home, Creighton became instantly protective of her. He became almost obsessively protective to the point where she felt suffocated. She wanted him to be normal, but over the years, she realized that was impossible because, outside of his obsession with her, he showed no emotions.

Their story picks up where the last book ended. In A Captive Situation, Blake was kidnapped and used as leverage by Creighton’s cousin. Creighton promised Blake that he wouldn’t kill Sawyer and Jake only if she promised not to run away from him anymore. In this book, we see her moving into a college house with roommates, trying her best to live a normal life while finishing her senior year of college. Of course, Creighton won’t allow her to live in a new city without the necessary precautions in place to ensure her safety.

The characters were well developed, but the overall story just fell flat. How many times can the heroine get kidnapped and escape on her own? I seriously couldn’t stop rolling my eyes. It felt like the same plot in a different book all over again. I was so disappointed because I really loved them. Their sad upbringings and character development were so compelling, and their story had a lot of potential, but the recycled plot completely killed it for me.

I did enjoy the romance, and it was obvious how much love they both held for each other, but even so, I felt like it could’ve been developed further.

What To Expect:
• Mafia Romance
• Foster siblings
• Boy Obsessed
• Stalker
• Heroine in Danger
• Good girl x Bad Boy

⚠️: Off page child abuse, kidnapping, violence, and more.

Thank you to the author and Montlake Romance for an ARC of this title. All opinions all are my own.

I really enjoyed this book, though it did take me a few chapters to adjust to the writing style. But once I did—wow. I absolutely devoured it. It pulled me in and didn’t let go until the very last page. Addictive and intense!

I loved the main characters, Blake and Creighton. This is definitely a slow burn, but the chemistry between them simmers throughout the entire story. Creighton… oh my, my, my.!I do love an obsessed hero, and he is truly the “touch her and die” kind of guy.

The found family aspect added so much to the book. Levi was such a big, protective teddy bear; Lassiter carried a quiet sadness that really tugged at me; and Palma she just said it like it is—loved her.

Overall, this was a fantastic read. Dark, emotional, and gripping with just the right balance of angst and connection.

✨ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This is my honest review.