A Cruel Arrangement is the second book in Tijan’s The Kings of New York. Let me just tell you Ashton and Trace are the Kings of New York!! Whew. Hot Mafia Kings!

We learn in A Cruel Arrangement Ashton loves to be cruel. Becoming head of his family isn’t a hardship for him, he enjoys letting his dark side out.

Molly is one heck of a strong woman. She had been dealt a crap hand in life. She has a ‘switch’ in her where her darkness comes out. It matches Ashton’s.

Together, they can burn down the world around them and thrive in the heat. With their made family, they are unstoppable.

It was a read I couldn’t put down and answered so many questions from the first book!! Loved it.

A Cruel Arrangement is the second Kings Of New York book by Tijan. You need to read A Dirty Business about Trace and Jess, to understand what has previously happened and to appreciate the dynamics between all the characters. This time we have Ashton Walden and Molly Easter. Their love story happens slowly in this exciting dark mafia romance. Ashton is searching for answers and needs to work out which side everyone is on? Molly gets drawn into his world but finds her life being threaten. There is kidnapping, car chases and deadly attacks as
confessions, betrayal and long held secrets revealed. Will they survive to find their HEA?

“We’re not just running two Mafia empires. We’re the kings of New York.”

Ashton and Trace were running legal businesses and looking to break free of their families. Then three months ago another mafia family declared war by gunning down Ashton’s grandfather and uncles, leaving him in charge. Trace found himself in the same position as his family were also attacked. Now they have both stepped up into their respective roles as heads of their families and are determined to find out the reasons behind the attacks and who killed their family and friends.

Molly Easter loves owning and running Easter Lanes. She has survived on her own after an awful childhood and made the best of things. Her father Shorty is a gambler and her mother died when she was young. After a traumatic experience defending her business, she ends up being looked after by Ashton. They have known each other since they were kids because her father always owed his family money. To her he was the cutest boy she’d ever seen. Now he is angry and cold but she still gets the fuzzies every time she is near him.

Ashton likes being cruel and has a reputation for being deadly and torturing his enemies. The war with Nicolai Worthing is bubbling away throughout the story. There is an arranged ceasefire but things continue to happen. Poor Ashton is feeling the weight of responsibility as he is left with solving the murders, handling the war and dealing with Molly. It all starts with him needing her help with getting some information but escalates quickly. He originally thought he could use Molly as bait to end the war but slowly realises he can’t let her go. He agrees with Trace that caring for somebody really changes things.

“We have a deal. It was a cruel arrangement in a way.”

Molly is a great character and her inner thoughts especially about her father were so amusing. She finds herself in so many life or death situations, which annoys Ashton intensely as she puts herself in danger and he never knows what she is going to do next. When she is backed into a corner she reacts in the most unusual ways which will have you cracking up. She knows she has a darkness inside that can match his. I loved her ‘switch’ and how she goes crazy, which makes her so perfect for him.

He knows secrets that have been hidden from her and worries she will become a target. Would it be better and safer for her if he let her go as she’ll never live a normal life attached to him. Could she ignore who he is and what he does because he is a bad man. I loved how good she was at reading him and how they sometimes communicated in a way only lovers could. Although she gets to see another side of Ashton she actually likes the monster who lives inside him. Her way of describing the four of them was very insightful and I agreed she connected them all together.

We see a lot of Jess and Trace especially as she is still having issues with Ashton. I really liked Avery and thought Pialto and Sophie were so funny and supportive to Molly. The relationship between Marco and Trace’s sister was interesting as Remmi is a handful. I wasn’t sure about Ashton but Molly was just what he needed. If you enjoyed the first book then you will love this one. Action packed right to the end, with good twists and turns and surprises all the way through.

Easter Lanes bowling alley is all Molly Easter wanted and she was finally able to buy it from her father. One day, a robber comes in and protecting it puts her in the hospital. But instead she wakes up in the home of the New York mafia's most feared killer, Ashton Walden, and learns a shocking secret about her business and her father that will have her making a deal with the devil to get it back. Suddenly she's in extreme danger and Ashton becomes her savior, rescuing her countless times. He's not as cold and unfeeling as he tries to show and something about the darkness inside him calls to her own darkness she tries to hide.
I just love a dark bad boy (as evidenced by my husband and his determination to rescue and release spiders from my home back to the wild, lol) and Ashton is one seriously scary character. But when he goes all soft and sweet for his woman it just makes me want to swoon! Is it too much to hope for another book in this series or even a spinoff? I'm not ready to leave Trace and Ashton behind!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“You run and I’ll burn the world down for you.”

In Tijan’s new mafia romance, A Cruel Arrangement, book 2 in the Kings of New York series, prepare to be taken by Ashton Walden in this suspenseful read. After an intense start, Molly finds herself in jeopardy of losing her place, only to be at the mercy of her childhood crush turned mafia king—Ashton Walden. But can she get past the tragedy that binds them? Ashton won’t give her a choice in the matter.

“Molly was mine. She was either my target, my mark, my woman, or my cross to bear. Any and all ways I split it, she was mine.”

Overall, this rating is for romantic suspense, great world building, action-packed, steaminess, and character development. If you enjoy dark mafia love stories, then I recommend the Kings of New York series. I look forward to reading additional works by the author.

I loved Molly and Ashton's story. I loved how different they are, Ashton is dark while Molly is all rainbow. I liked that stark contrast a lot. And their chemistry and banter are fun and entertaining to follow. Sometimes the story would feel too mafia-ey even though it's not but Tijan would bring it back to the storyline. I think the pacing could use a little speed up.

Darkness & Light ... a perfect match

Tijan's A CRUEL ARRANGEMENT is the second in the Kings Of New York series. A mafia romance that gradually built with plenty of drama, action, thrills, and held me completely engrossed until the last word. If you have read A Dirty Business, which I highly recommend, then you'll be happy to know that all questions raised are answered. This is Molly Easter and Ashton Walden's story.

Considering how she grew up, Molly was such a strong, effervescent, caring, and loving character. She owns Easter Lanes, a bowling alley, and has worked hard at making it a success. It's something she can finally call her own. Imagine her surprise when she finds out that it isn't exactly hers, but belongs to Ashton Walden, the city's notorious mafia crime lord. I can honestly say that I did not like Ashton in the first book, but boy did he grow on me during this one. He was the man I loved to hate with his ominous dark side. He was also the perfect match for Molly's lightness. The chemistry between them sparked brightly, but it was Ashton's confusion over his inability to control his emotions that really warmed me to him. If you want a dark, swoony hero, then Ashton is your man.

Yet again, Tijan has shown why she is considered a master at manipulating words. I love how she fills her story with plenty of suspense, intrigue, and mystery. The connection she has between Molly and Ashton was magnetic, even though they tried to fight it. Another brilliant read from Tijan that I simply devoured.

Read and Reviewed for Reading Is Our Satisfaction

✨✨✨✨✨ FIVE INTRIGUING STARS ✨✨✨✨✨

This is a story about a woman whose father has ties to the mafia. She has tried to stay away from him and those ties. But enter a man who has inherited the role as head of his mafia family. He tells her secrets about her other that were hidden from her. In addition, the bowling alley that she purchased from her father wasn’t his to sell, but the mafia boss will give it to her in exchange for a favor. This favor puts her in mortal danger and in close proximity to this man to whom she is inexplicably drawn as he is to her. These characters must navigate their connection with each other while dealing with threats to her life and to his family. There are multiple players in this tableau and many are not what they seem. You have to read this book to find out how it all falls out in the end. This was not the first book in the series, but I was able to get the gist of the dynamics of this world without having read any preceding books. I would recommend reading in order for the best understanding of this group of characters, because there are a lot of people to keep track of, but it isn’t necessary to enjoy this story. This wasn’t the best book I have read by this author, but it was a good read. If you like mafia romance stories with steamy, explicit sex, I recommend giving this one a try. I am voluntarily submitting this review after reading an advanced complementary copy of this ebook.

A cruel arrangement is book 2 in the Kings of New York series and is advertised as a standalone in an interconnected series. Technically you could read this book as a standalone, however I would definately recommend you read these books in order to understand the background, along with Jess and Trace's story from book one.

The end of book one was a cliffy and this book picks up from this point. Molly and Ashton's are two interesting characters, alike in many ways yet different and they compliment each other really well. Molly has a strength about her along being a bit quirky but seems to attract touble, Ashton is typical brash, tough guy and dangerousto those who cross him. Molly is a perfect fit for him, she wont take his sh1t. The chemistry between them is off the charts hot oht hot.

Brace yourself for a steamy +++, action pack roller coaster ride that is Ashton and Molly's journey.

One night and Mollys whole life changes. Molly owner of a bowling alley who she bought from her dad. She fought hard to renovate and build up business and she has done an amazing job. Something she can call her own. Something she can be proud of. But then one night changes it all and Ashton Walden walks into her life. But she doesn’t know if she wants to hate him, fear him or give into the feelings that he invokes in her. The dark side that she has always kept hidden. This book is so good and has you wanting more. It keeps you on the edge not wanting to put it down.

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: anti-hero; alpha hero; mafia romance; forced proximity; grumpy/sunshine; opposites attract; heroine in danger; tragic past

Tijan’s next Kings of New York story, A Cruel Arrangement is a fitting follow-up to Tijan’s A Dirty Business. Both books envelop the reader in a harrowing tale of mafia tribulations couched in sultry romance. Where Trace and Jess’s love story is fraught with the forbidden element of their relationship, Ashton and Molly’s romance is high adrenaline from the very start to its end.

As Tijan does well, A Cruel Arrangement is full of minute-by-minute tension. Ashton and Molly are opposites: he’s the new head of a mafia family, and Molly is the owner of a local bowling alley. Her father is a street “rat," owned by Ashton’s family due to his extravagant gambling debt, and Ashton has taken on the family business in the wake of the deaths of his uncles. They shouldn’t work; however, something in Molly matches Ashton’s darkness, and the two are drawn together like magnets.

This book has much to be solved because danger is afoot at every corner. Tijan places her characters in sundry difficult situations, and Ashton and Molly must work their way out of them. A Cruel Arrangement is page after page of trials, yet Ashton and Molly forge ahead, their attraction palpable on the page. Even in its darkest moments, Tijan has grafted a sweetness in Ashton and Molly’s pairing.

Given the suspense in this book, I didn’t figure out the villain’s accomplices until Tijan revealed it. This, thankfully, kept me turning the pages of her story. The ending, however, was abrupt and not fully fleshed out. Yet, I’d like to believe there might be another book.

If you’re an avid reader of suspenseful, dark mafia, A Cruel Arrangement will give you some good feels, but I’m not sure the most dedicated reader of mafia romance will find it dark enough. In the end, I’m here for Tijan and her stories, and this newest book didn’t disappoint.

This is book two of the Kings of New York series and it dives straight into where things left off from the previous book. This book follows Ashton and Molly and they had me by the THROAT. Book one was good for me, I liked it enough but I LOVED this book. I love morally grey men and Ashton is morally grey to a f*cking tee. He's so unhinged and from the glimpses that we got of Molly from book one, I had a feeling that she would be his perfect match.

I love an unhinged MMC but put him together with an unhinged FMC??? It was the most perfect mess. I loved Molly from the jump and knew she would have Ashton wrapped around her in no time.

What started off as a deal between the two, turned into the hottest duo I never knew I needed. Molly and Ashton weren't just hot, they were FERAL for each other. The spice in this book and the connection between Molly and Ashton was amazing. I loved the slow burn and the build up to what they became. They're so possessive over each other and they're a new fav couple of mine. Molly is as cute as she is crazy and Ashton LOVES her for it. He loves the way her mind works and loves the sunshine in her just as much as he loves the darkness.

I wouldn't say this is a standalone so be sure to read book one first so you can understand the plot to everything that's happening!

Thank you Tijan and Valentine PR for this ARC!

4.5 'Pinkie' Stars!
ARC provided via Valentine PR in exchange for an honest review.

After the cliffhanger that Tijan left us with at the end of A Dirty Business, I was definitely curious to know what was coming next in this series. I was also excited to know who would be the special lady to make Ashton fall in love. Tijan did not disappoint, of course. If you are a fan of mafia romance and bad boys falling head over heels in love, you have to check out this series and this new release!

So, A Cruel Arrangement is the second (and I believe last) installment in Tijan’s Kings of New York series and, as I mentioned, it tells the story of Ashton Walden and Molly Easter. We met these two characters in the first book, both being friends of the main characters there. Ashton is now the head of the Walden family mafia and he has Molly’s business in his hands. If he helps her with something, he is willing to give her back the place she calls home. However, what happens when Ashton’s darkness is attracted to Molly’s light?

She was mine.
I wasn’t letting her go.
She was, just, she was mine.
She owned me, and god help anyone who tried to take her away from me.

I did thoroughly enjoy the two books in this series. They do share similarities but they are still very different from one another. Maybe that’s why I enjoyed A Cruel Arrangement even a bit more. I do love reading characters who cannot stop being drawn to each other. While Ashton and Molly don’t want to accept the sparks between them, it’s not so easy to ignore them. When that chemistry finally explodes, it’s not only sexy, it gets emotional fast and it was really amazing to read. These two fall HARD for each other and I loved it. And yes, there are many obstacles on the way, secrets and mafia business but this couple is stronger than all of that.

I was in the arms of a guy who was my next chapter. Whether it was good, long, bad, brief, whatever, or wherever Ashton planned to take me, he was the next chapter.

Therefore, I am rating A Cruel Arrangement with 4.5 STARS because it was a great continuation of the first installment of this series. I loved getting to know more about all these characters and reading how Ashton and Molly fall in love. It wasn’t all easy but it was worth it in the end. Their connection is just truly beautiful. I wish we had a bit of a longer epilogue though to wrap everything up but still I really enjoyed this book overall. If you are a fan of mafia romance, make sure to check out this series!

In my opinion, this is not a standalone book. I hadn’t read the first in this series and I struggled to understand the book at first.

But having said that I still really enjoyed Molly and Aston’s story. She was definitely the light to his dark, but had some real spunk to her and knew how to act in tense situations. I love a story with a protective man who hates everyone but his lady love.

The overall storyline was intense and definitely kept you intrigued. If you are a fan of mafia romance, this is surely one to check out.

The second book in the Kings of New York series and while I was expecting the continuation of Trace and Jess’s story that had begun in A Dirty Business, A Cruel Arrangement is the story of Trace’s partner and fellow mafia King, Ashton Walden and Molly Easter. The story starts with the Kings at war and Ashton sees Molly as a tool to get what he wants and he’ll use any means at his disposal to do so .

After his actions regarding Jess in the first book I really didn’t like Ashton, in fact I’d go as far as saying I actively hated him and for the first few chapters here I couldn’t see that changing. I couldn’t tell if even liked Molly or if she was just a means to an end. He was definitely not my idea of hero material but then he started to grow on me as his feelings for Molly developed and he did a complete turnaround going from being willing to use her to being ultra-overprotective giving off a definite “touch her and die” vibe. With Molly in his life it meant he could see how messed up some of his previous actions were. His relationship with her was actually quite complex once their childhood connection was revealed. Molly is an intriguing character. Her mother dead and a hunter for a father who only remembers he has a daughter when he needs bailed out of jail so she spent much of her childhood in care. All she cares about is her bowling alley and the handful of friends she has and when either is threatened it’s like some switch is tripped in her almost like a Jekyll and Hyde moment so, in her own way, she’s just as much of a bada$$ as Jess. Unfortunately she’s a magnet for danger with a habit of ending up with a gun pointed in her face much to Ashton’s displeasure so let’s just say the body count is high. The overall story is fast paced with lots of danger, violence and threats but for me the strong point in A Cruel Arrangement is the character development especially that of Ashton and the impact it has on the relationships between the other characters.

Tijan is this author, that I really love to read, but honestly sometimes it's hard for me to dive in for a 100% in her words. With this title, I didn't have this problem, the whole story line sucked me into in a matter of seconds. A Cruel Arrangementt definitely is this book that had kept me in line since the first pages and I loved it so much. I could feel from the beginning, that Author knows exactly how to lead her characters thru the pages. It was emotional, intense and packed with tons of unexpected twists and action.

The relationship between Molly and Ashton is everything. They are opposite to each other, but they can't denied the push/pull between them. Their feelings were intese, but built in typical Tijan's style. Where is the love and drama, she knows how to put everything together and left readers speachless at the end.

Highly recommend this title.

A Cruel Arrangement by Tijan, is the second book in the Kings of New York Series, this time we will get to know Molly Easter better, who is a sweet, independent girl, loyal to her friends and with a positive attitude, even though her life has been full of difficult moments and not so pleasant experiences, we met her in the first book as the owner of Easter Lanes, although now she will discover in the worst way that once again she was deceived by her father, this is where comes into play the enigmatic, cold, calculating and extremely handsome and dangerous Ashton Walden, who after what happened to his family is the head of his organization, which together with Trace's family, are the ones who dominate the Mafia in New York, this man will approach Molly with the intention of using it and thus being able to get answers and the person behind of what happened. This puts Molly in danger and is Ashton's chance to use her as a token to get what he needs, but little did he know that he would be drawn to this woman so unique and unlike anything he's ever known and determined to protect her. . Just like in the first book, get ready to live with these characters moments full of action, suspense, anguish, unexpected twists, new alliances, loyalties put to the test, as well as sad moments and tears but also crazy moments that will make you laugh out loud, I really enjoy this story from beginning to end.
I advise you to read the first book before entering this story so that you don't spoil the first book since the main reason for the plot in this story has to do with the end of the previous book, well, now that the clarification is done, I tell you to go read this story now, you won't regret it. Highly recommended!!

Tijan has created such an awesome duology with the Kings of New York. Although a part of me wishes for more in this universe, I enjoyed the conclusion and felt it ended the duology well. After leaving us on a heckuva cliffhanger at the end of A Dirty Business, I wondered how Tijan would bring the two together, and like the true magician she is she crafted an intense and dazzling follow-up with A Cruel Arrangement.

Ashton has far more darkness in him than Trace, Ashton is taking over as head of the family, and he's far more ruthless. He finds himself being drawn more and more into Molly Easter's life and business because of her father's involvement with the family. There's some history between the two, which is slowly revealed in the story. What shines about this story is Molly; she is tough, loyal, mouthy, and resourceful. She has her own darkness, but what's more important is the flexibility in her personality. She's not constantly digging her heels in and refusing help; she goes with the flow that will keep her safe. That is, until she doesn't and decides to follow her gut. There were a few moments in this book that were cute and giggle-worthy between Molly and Ashton.

This book was a freaking fantastic read from cover to cover 400+ pages that I devoured pretty much in one sitting because I didn't want to stop the story. This suspenseful story moves at a great pace, with fantastically complex characters who blend so well that you would like to hang out with them for a while. Tijan's writing in this duology as well as her previous series, The Insiders, have been somewhat dark with anti-heroes who are fabulous, and stories you can't get enough of. Grab A Cruel Arrangement today!

This was a good read. That ending was very good. I need more from this series. I have no words how to describe how I feel about read this book! I need more!!!!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the second book in this series – and I would definitely recommend that you read them in order, and possibly close together. Tijan does a good job of reminding the reader of the importance of elements of the story from the previous book, and actually, that reminder of what Ashton did... makes it very difficult to warm to him.

Any fan of Tijan's books will know that it can be quite a stretch to see how on earth a happily ever after can come from what is first given to us, and in this book I found it even more difficult – but Molly was a far stronger character that one might have first imagined.

Be ready for a bumpy ride, but have faith. I am looking forward to the next installment already!


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Mafia Romance

Molly owns a bowling alley that has become the local hangout. Her family is there for her. But when tragedy strikes and she loses two of her own, Molly will have to rely on old skills learned from her con man father to survive what's to come.

Ashton is the new head of his family. While he knows what's at stake, he doesn't truly know how it will play out. Molly is his new target, but when he gets to see how strong and amazing Molly is, Ashton will have to decide if he's still willing to go through with his plan.

Tijan does a good job of walking you through the issues from the previous book without going histrionic. You could read this as a standalone, but I don't recommend it.

I wish that Ashton was stronger in this story. Afterall, it was his story. I felt that he had a stronger voice in book one. For me, the romance just didn't work well. Ashton and Molly were an odd pairing and just didn't seem to mesh as well as other Tijan characters have. But if you're a fan of Tijan, that will only be a slight blip in the story. You'll still enjoy the heck out of it.


Erica – ☆☆☆
3.5 stars

A CRUEL ARRANGEMENT is the second installment of the Kings of New York series.

Can it be read as a standalone? Honestly, I do believe so, especially since this is two new narrators connected to the previous two. It has been so long since I read the first in the series, I had forgotten many plot points, yet I had no problem diving in. While I do believe the novel can be read as a standalone, the emotional payout is greater if read in series order.

Tijan did an excellent job spiking my memory to events that happened in the previous novel without a dreaded info-dump. A smooth transition between sets of narrators, the novels flawlessly connecting as the story continues.

Molly Easter is sweet yet has tons of moxie. She owns the bowling alley, which she purchased off her gambling addict of a father. They're connected to the mafia through his debts. Molly keeps a clear divide between her life and her father's, only to discover what she thought was truth was false, upturning her entire life.

Ashton is the new head of the Walden family. While he is a loyal and supportive friend, the darker and grittier aspects of life are his true calling. He enjoys the cruelty of it all when it comes to those who put his way of life at risk.

Opposites attract, yet there are some similarities too. Ashton is on a quest to discover who murdered a pair of their friends, especially since his best friend's girlfriend is hurting. Ashton sees it as a way to heal the wound he created during the last novel. Since it all connects to Molly, a shared group of friends, Molly is willing to do anything to help.

On the mafia front, there are three mafia families preparing for war. Ashton and his best friend, new to being in charge, are allies. The murdered friend was a member of a rival mafia family by blood but not by deed. Add law enforcement in the rival mafia family, burglaries drawing Molly into it, along with her shyster of a father, Molly become Ashton's full-time job.

While I was entertained, I was not hooked as I usually am with Tijan's novels. All the right elements were there, but they just didn't seem to grab my interests. I enjoyed Molly's character and personality, but Ashton wasn't as intriguing during his own narration as he was in the previous novel when I wasn't deep inside his head.

There were a ton of pages, but I felt it meandered. I didn't feel the need to feverishly read as I usually do with a Tijan novel. I was able to put the novel down and go do other things without the story invading my thoughts. I wasn't connected to it. I wasn't hooked. I wanted to love it, and I did enjoy most of it, I just wasn't as enthralled as I hoped to be.

I loved Molly other than the odd "switch" and I wanted the intriguing Ashton from the previous novel instead of the one-note character I felt him to be while inside his head. Honestly, I felt the "voice" of both narrators sounded more like teenagers, not fully grown adults who owned businesses and were in charge of many beneath them.

Ashton and Molly are fire together… I loved these two and the way their personalities actually fit, though they seem like they might not at first glance. This one was a complex puzzle of pieces, but Ashton is the man to solve the mysteries that keep cropping up, and Tijan was the perfect author to craft this one, ensuring it truly worked. It is a generous mix of spice and story, and I devoured every last word!