Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team for the opportunity to read this title in advance of its release.

5 FREAKING stars! ⭐️

Harper Dale is utterly brilliant and this book just jumped high up on my list of favorite mafia romances. It took me a bit to read ONLY because I was savoring it like a fine wine. Man, there is just something so enticing about this story.

Dante and Darya’s story is one for the history books (should they exist in the fictional mafia world!). In addition to the push and pull of their magnetic relationship, Harper Dale does a wonderful job of immersing you in a world. You truly feel like you are on location as the story is unfolding.

I can’t wait to for the next book! I am hooked!

I loved this book so much. I have been on a mafia book kick lately, but this is definitely one of my favorites!!

**Apparently this is Book 2 in the series, and I haven't read Book 1, but I didn't have any trouble following along, so I would consider this an interconnected standalone.**

Dante & Danya have instant chemistry.... and they have to navigate how & if they can make a relationship work while their families are enemies...

I honestly don't understand why & how Danya's parents have been apart for over 2 decades!! But glad that they were able to stay together & pick up where they left off...also sad for her Dad (and her) who missed out on growing up together.

The book is well written...lots of action, plot twists, steamy moments, witty banter & a happily ever after.

Look forward to reading more books by this author!!

Thanks to the author, publisher & Netgalley for the ARC read. All opinions are my own.

This book is a true mafia/mobster romance. The two main characters, Darya and Dante have chemistry right out of the bat. The text message exchanges between these two were so good. They are both hot heads. One minute they are screaming at each other then the next they are all over each other. And I was here for all of it. The different elements to the story really sold this book for me. The exploration of Prostitution, Sex trafficking, while following that morally grey line of what is right and what is wrong (murder is okay, lol). It illustrated how these men were not good men, but they had standards and selling women was their hard line. I also liked how we got to see multiple perspectives. I love when authors do this, because it adds another layer to the story. If you like Bratva/Mobster romance, then you will love this book.

Intense, emotional, violent, and filled with betrayals, secrets, and vengeance! A mafia romance that really captures the sizzle as well as the ugly side of a violent culture. Strong characters and even stronger emotions make this one a winner.

4⭐️

This is the definition of he falls first 🥵 The obsession Dante has over Darya is unrivaled!

As a mafia romance this book hits all the marks. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Dante and Darya even though it was very insta-lust. This is a very dark romance, so make sure to read the content warnings.

While it’s listed as book 2, you can definitely read it without reading book 1, almost as a standalone. Although I think reading book 1 would give more of a background of some of the characters.

Thank you RupertBossier and NetGalley for an eARC!

MASTER OF OMISSION
By: Harper Dale

DeVecchio Legacy Series
Book 2 - Can be read as standalone

ARC REVIEW

⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️4/5 Star Review
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 4/5 Spiciness Level
 
RELEASE INFO FOR ARC/ALC BOOKS:
Releasing Feb 1, 2026 in ebook and paperback.

FAVORITE QUOTE(S):
“He swept into my life, changed everything, and disappeared. How does that happen? And why? For weeks, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him. Those eyes. Damn it… And I don’t even know his name. How ridiculous am I?” -Darya
&
“The little vixen took up residence in my mind the second I stood over her that first night, when she was trembling on that filthy sidewalk, pridefully trying to deny the terror that paralyzed her.” -Dante
&
“The sun comes up and the sun goes down, whether you’re in love or your heart has been shattered into a million pieces. The sun doesn’t care. The birds don’t care. No one cares. Not really. When your heart is broken, the only one who feels it, the only one who understands it—is you. We’re each alone in our heartache.” -Darya
&
“‘Yes, Dante! It is that simple! You lie. By omission. Liar. Liar. Liar!’ He is the master of omission.” -Darya
&
“You want me to confess my biggest omission?” … “I love you.” -Dante

 
RECOMMENDATION:
I really enjoyed this book! There is young, fiery, reckless love between rival mafia family heirs, Dante and Darya. There are twists & turns and unknown hidden identities. The MMC Dante has a powerful role in his Italian mafia family. The FMC Darya is a sheltered young lady who does not know her true identity belonging also to a mafia family… a Russian mafia family that’s an enemy to Dante’s.

This book kept me engrossed throughout every page! It’s a page-turning, edge-of-your-seat mafia romance with a lot of spice and intrigue! Although the main characters are young and a bit immature in their words and actions, remember they ARE young! It is how they are supposed to be and I truly enjoyed it!

TROPES:
Mafia Families
Forbidden Romance
Instant Chemistry
Saved Damsel in Distress
Rival Families - Mafia Prince vs Bratva Princess
FMC Does Not Know Her True Identity
FMC in Hiding With Mother
MMC Powerful Mafia Role

GENRE, POV, PAGE COUNT:
Dark Mafia Romance
1st Person POV alternates by chapter between main characters.
449 Pages in ebook version.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW & TIME LENGTH:
No audiobook at the time of this review.

FMC:  
Darya Marks, but her actual name is Darya Viktoria Markova. She is young I can’t find her actual age, but i am guessing around 18-20. Her mother took her and fled from Darya’s father Sergei Markova, the new Pakhan of the Russian Bratva. Darya does not know her true identity. She has led a sheltered life and is currently volunteering at a homeless shelter. She loves to paint and is excited to be able to show one of her creations at a gallery auction.

MMC:
Dante Christos “DC” DeVecchio is 3 years older than Darya. Dante is in an Italian mafia family and works very hard to help run it. He works closely with his father and their men. The Russians are their enemy. Dante is the Master of Omission, but not ever does he lie. He is very against anyone who tells a lie because if they tell you one lie, they will tell you another.
 
STORYLINE/PLOT:
When Dante comes upon Darya being assaulted in the street outside of the homeless shelter she volunteers at, he only has to speak a few words and all 4 of the men attacking her flee for their lives. Sparks immediately begin to fly when they lay eyes upon one another.
 
Dante finds out who she is after looking into her. He believes she is lying about who she is, but the truth is she doesn’t even know her true identity. When Darya was a toddler, her mother took her and fled Russia ending up in Baltimore. They’ve been in hiding there ever since. So, when Dante finds out Darya’s father has found her, he tries to warn her to stay away from him and offers to protect her from him, but she chooses to meet her father instead. Darya gets to know her father and he seems like a good man. Not all is as it seems, with either family.

A lot of things begin to happen between the two rival families, some are funny and some are very much not which makes it near impossible for Dante and Darya to be together. Even though, Dante chooses to pursue Darya. They are still very young and a lot of the dialogue and actions they take are that of immaturity and young, reckless love. I love them together! There is such young passion and they are headstrong in what they want… which is each other, even though it is forbidden.

There are twists and turns I did not see coming. I did really enjoy this book! I want to read book 1 which is back in time and I look forward to the next book as well!

NOTE:
Check trigger warnings if needed.

THANKS:
Thank you to Author Harper Dale, Rupert Bossier Publishing and NetGalley for this amazing ebook! I loved reading it, look forward to the next book in this series and look forward to reading future books by this author and publisher! Thank you!
 
Happy Reading! ♥☻

Darya Marks was just volunteering at her local shelter when she witnesses a woman being attacked by some men. Little does she know just dangerous these men are or who they work for. Just like Darya fearless and acts without a thought of what could go wrong, attempts to save the girl but finds herself the next target.
Dante the son of Don Tommaso DeVecchio the head of the Italian family crime Empire Saves Darya. Who is actually the Daughter of Sergei Markova the Russian known as the polar Bear. Sergei is over the Bratva and has just come to the states to lead this area.
Dante figures out that Sergei’s wife took his daughter and ran years ago and he doesn’t know his daughter is in this town. Sergei has an idea but needs to confirm that Darya Marks is in fact Darya Markova. Once he sees her knows and she knows that this man is her father. But she can’t get Dante out of her mind and Dante knows he should not get involved with the Russian’s daughter.
This forbidden love story will have you in a choke hold. It’s a story ran by mafias and crime families. Where the MFC and MMC lives are always at risk and someone is trying to kidnap them or kill them or their families. Who knew Darya the common ground could bring to rivals to join forces to save her life.

Master of Omission by Harper Dale is a fast-paced, intense mafia romance filled with secrets, betrayal, and undeniable chemistry. Dante and Darya’s connection is immediate and explosive, made even more dangerous by their families being sworn enemies. Their willingness to risk everything for each other kept the tension high throughout the story.

The writing is strong and highly descriptive, making it easy to visualize each scene. The book is packed with action, steamy moments, witty banter, and twists that kept me turning the pages. While the romance felt a bit rushed at times and I noticed a small inconsistency in the plot, the overall story was still engaging and entertaining. This is technically book two in a series, but it works well as an interconnected standalone—I had no trouble following along without reading book one. The Russian bratva elements added an extra layer of intrigue, and the emotional stakes stayed high until the end.

Overall, this was a fun and addictive read that mafia romance fans will enjoy. I’m definitely interested in reading more from this author.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book was intense, but like in the best way! The dynamic between the characters was fire right out of the gate and so much happened so quickly. The tension of the Russian bratva runs high in this book and it's really interesting to see the little bits of "history" woven throughout. I cannot speak on if these details or true because I don't know enough about the history of Russia, but the way the author presents them makes it seem so and I honestly just went on thier word.

The writing of this book is well done and perfectly descriptive. I was easily able to picture everything that was going on in scenes (whether I wanted to or not, haha) which made the book very enjoyable for me.

This book was apparently the second in a series, but I don't think that took away any details, considering I'd not read nor heard of the first book. Although I'm likely to go back and read it now.

I will say this book did keep me on my toes in the best of ways, always wondering what was coming next for Darya and Dante. These two were fuel and flame and I think that made the energy between them really enticing. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I would for sure recommend it to some folks I know who read this kind of romance.

I loved it. 5 star read and the characters are so amazing and relatable. The chemistry I could feel it off the page. I can't wait to read more by you.

One of my favorite stories are mafia stories. I don't know what it is about them, whether it's the intenseness of the story or the couple themselves. That is this book in a nutshell.

Master of Omission was a good surprise in the best way. Most mafia romances I’ve read don’t get me in the feels but this one did. There’s a lot of action, especially towards the end, but it never overshadows Dante and Darya’s connection. I didn’t realize this was book 2 in a series so I’m excited to go back and read it because this one was so enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this title.