Overview

How I accidentally found love and a little crime in the desert.

I’m just your average waitress at a diner in the middle of a desert. I sling coffee, argue with my best friend about the right way to stack pancakes, and dream of a life beyond this dusty diner.

Excitement? Not on the menu. At least, not until a literal mafia boss crashes into my life.

So I’m halfway through my shift when a car screeches into the parking lot. Out steps mafia queen Viola, destroyer of hearts, and owner of the most piercing glare I’ve ever seen.

Oh, and did I mention she was armed?

What follows is absolute chaos. Viola claims she’s not here to rob us, but that doesn’t stop my friend from launching pots and pans like she’s auditioning for the Olympics. Somehow, amidst all this, we end up bonding over burnt pie and the diner’s terrible Wi-Fi.

Viola is all sharp suits, sharper comebacks, and a smirk that could probably kill a man. She’s also infuriatingly charming. One minute, she’s growling orders like some kind of mafia goddess. The next, she’s awkwardly helping me fix a neon sign and catching me when I fall off a ladder.

I’m handling it great. By great, I mean I’m a blushing, stammering mess every time she looks at me. My friend, of course, thinks it’s hilarious and won’t stop teasing me about my tough-girl crush. She’s not wrong, but does she have to be so loud about it?

Viola decides to stay. She says it’s because she’s running from someone, but we both know she staying for me. Cue hilarious dinners, flirtatious banter, and a training montage where Viola tries to teach me self-defense. I spill coffee. I trip over a chair. I somehow manage to flip her onto a mattress, and let’s just say that sparks fly. Some literal, because my stove’s a bit unpredictable.

But it’s not all giggles and googly eyes. Viola’s world is dangerous, and her enemy is still out there. She’s got secrets, and I’ve got doubts. But I’m ready to take a chance on something reckless and romantic.

If you like mafia bosses with hearts of gold, sassy waitresses with a knack for getting into trouble, and enough romantic tension to fry an egg, this is for you. We’ve got lots of sass, and a mafia queen who’s giving me heart palpitations I’m pretty sure aren’t just from the coffee.