Make Me
Natasha K. Lauren
Publisher: Dell
Publication Date: Nov. 17, 2026
Genre: Mafia Romance
He’s sworn to protect her. He thinks he’s the one in charge. She thinks . . . that’s cute.
By day, Gia Loren is a beloved Brooklyn trauma nurse with a coffee addiction and pink scrubs. By blood, she’s Giovanna Marcelli—daughter of one of the most powerful Italian mafia families in New York. And even if she walked away from that life years ago . . . the mob never forgets. . . and never lets you go.
When a rival boss is murdered and the city’s criminal underworld teeters on the edge of war, Gia is dragged back into the shadows and placed under lock-and-key protection, trapped in a safe house with a man who drives her crazy—in more ways than one. Nico Vitali, the Marcellis’ lethal, brooding enforcer and the one man completely off limits. Too bad Gia’s never been good at playing by the rules.
Ex-Marine. Combat-trained. Emotionless—at least on the outside. Nico’s life depends on his ability to control himself and his surroundings, and protecting Gia should be just another assignment. Except she refuses to behave. Fiery, flirty, and furious at her family and the situation, Gia turns captivity into a challenge, determined to rattle Nico’s unshakable discipline with every tease, every glance, every slow, dangerous smile.
Giving in would mean death. But resisting her just might be worse.
As sparks turn into a wildfire and the mafia war explodes around them, Gia must confront the truth about who she is and what she’s willing to claim. And Nico must choose where his loyalty lies—with the family he serves or their daughter he is sworn to protect.
Because in this city, love isn’t safe. It’s a liability.
And it might cost them everything.
My thoughts…
This romance shifts between both Gia and Niko’s points of view, which was a major highlight. Niko’s POV allowed him to become a more well-rounded character rather than just a grunting, grumpy hit-man. On the surface, he seems like a simple soldier who just follows orders, but his chapters reveals that he’s got some depth beneath the stoic exterior.
Gia, on the other hand, was a bit of a hot mess. She starts off acting like a spoiled princess, recklessly teasing Niko just to get a reaction out of him. While she eventually settles down, her initial snappiness when he doesn’t give her what she wants felt a bit off-putting like I was watching a petulant child react to something they don’t like. It honestly took me a little bit to come around to Gia’s character.
Much of the story is slow burn, and focuses on the two of them waiting out the danger in Niko’s apartment. While the tension is there, I felt like the true mafia action didn’t arrive until the very end. Between the meetings with rival families and the final showdown, the climax was exciting… I just wish we had seen more of that gritty, high-stakes world through Niko’s eyes earlier in the book.
