The Hermit by Michelle Heard
POV: Dual 1st Person
3rd ACT BREAK-UP: No
TROPES: Arranged Marriage; Mafia; Damaged Heroine; Tortured Hero; Loner Hero
SERIES: Mafia Empire book 1
TYPE OF SERIES: Series of Standalones
RELEASE DATE: February 2, 2025
PoP: 67%
Michelle Heard delivers a gripping mafia romance in The Hermit, a book packed with intensity, emotion, and over-the-top devotion. Love arranged marriages, broody and powerful heroes, and heroines fighting to reclaim their strength? Then this one absolutely needs to be on your TBR.
Grace Devlin never had a choice. As the daughter of an Irish arms dealer, she grew up under the control of a ruthless father who saw her as nothing more than a pawn. Her father already arranged a marriage that ended up breaking Grace in a way she isn’t sure she can ever come back from.
When he arranges a marriage for her sister to Dominik Varga, a Slovak arms dealer with a reputation that sends men running, she refuses to allow it to happen and steps in for Ciara. Bracing for another nightmare, but soon finds that Dominik is not her former husband. He’s brutal and unforgiving in business, but when it comes to Grace, he’s something else entirely—obsessive, protective, and willing to burn the world for her.
Dominik steps into Grace’s life like a wrecking ball, teaching her to confront the trauma she’s trying to outrun.
Grace is strong, but the scars of her past run deep, and Heard does an incredible job portraying her PTSD with sensitivity and realism. Despite his ruthless nature, Dominik never sees Grace as weak. He sees her as his, and his determination to protect and cherish her makes for some seriously swoon-worthy moments.
The mafia world in The Hermit is just as dangerous as you’d expect, filled with power plays, betrayals, and bloodshed. But at the heart of it all, this story belongs to Grace and Dominik. He’s not just an alpha hero—he’s an over-the-top, possessive force of nature who will do whatever it takes to keep Grace safe. Their chemistry? Off the charts. The tension between them crackles, and when that slow burn ignites, it burns.
If you love lighter mafia romances with an arranged marriage, an alpha hero who would burn the world for his woman, and a heroine who finds her strength in the face of darkness, The Hermit delivers in every way. Michelle Heard doesn’t just write love stories—she creates worlds you get lost in. This book is a must-read, and trust me, you won’t be able to put it down.
IF you can’t tell… We are big fans of Michelle Heard:
Check out this Quick Shot of Romance of Drawn to Darkness
Check out this Quick Shot of Romance of Control Me
Check out this Quick Shot of Romance of Taken by a Sinner
Check out this review of Possess Me
