The Silencer by Cora Rose

I absolutely devoured this one. Cora Rose nails the perfect mix of dark mafia grit and laugh out loud rom com chaos in The Silencer. One minute I was chucking away and the next I was cringing at a tongue being cut out. When bubbly trouble making Tatum gets brutally attacked after some harmless flirting at a biker bar, he calls the one person who can save him: his best friend's terrifying mafia boss father, Anthony Costello.

Anthony (aka The Silencer) is everything you want in a morally gray anti hero: buttoned up, violently possessive, and straight until Tatum starts pushing every single one of his buttons. The age gap, best friend's dad tension is electric, and the forced proximity once Anthony locks Tatum down for protection turns up the heat to scorching levels. Expect obsessive touch him and die vibes, exhibitionism, intense chemistry, and plenty of unhinged side characters.

What really steals the show is how funny and witty Tatum is. He is a chaotic, smart mouthed whirlwind who lives to provoke the stern, grumpy Anthony, and his inner monologue and banter are pure gold. His fearless sarcasm, zero filter flirting, and absurdly bold decisions make him endlessly entertaining even in the middle of life threatening danger. One of my favourite quotes of his unhinged wit:

“Listen, it wasn’t the smartest, especially considering he had a jar of eyeballs with him, but listen… You show me a secret door and a secret passageway, and I’m going in. I’m telling you, I’ll die in there, but I’m going in.”

The audiobook narrator Zane Daniels absolutely nailed it too. He was so good, perfectly capturing Tatum’s chaotic energy and Anthony’s deep, brooding sexy intensity.

It is funny, filthy, surprisingly sweet in places, and packed with that signature Cora Rose humor while still delivering real stakes and dark themes. If you love possessive mafia men, smart mouthed twinks who live to provoke, and a wild ride full of violence, banter, and steamy scenes, this is THE book. Can't wait to read the next one.