Book Review: The Wicked by Rebecca Johnpee

  If you follow my reading escapades.... you know I dip from time to time into utterly dark romance.  I never want to limit my reading to just one genre, and I find that these romances are really enjoyable.    This one, was really something! 

This Mafia romance is set in Italy, which is wildly different from most of the ones I've read. There's also an overarching plot which involves a heist, and a quest for a missing piece of art. 

   Street  is a group of friends who are wildly talented at getting in, getting the goods (be it information, property or something else) and getting out without being seen. All of Street's members have nicknames that link them to terrifically traumatic pasts- Milk, Zahara, Dog, Devil and Upper. (to be frank, I didn't care for either the name "street" or the nicknames, but the book was so engaging I was able to overlook it) 

Elio is a man on a mission- shaped by a cruel background- he's the head of a mafia conglomerate and he refuses to have any weaknesses. This leaves him feeling empty, and alone. He's desperate for someone to care about him, but he's also not about to admit that. 

Worlds collide when Zahara and her team are found by Elio and essentially held hostage until they complete a difficult job. 

As the job unfolds, Elio has to face his growing attraction to Zahara. It's complicated and she's unlike any woman he's met before.  

Seems simple enough, but in fact, there's a complex heist plot that could at times overtake the slow burn romance.  Side characters have well developed pasts and complex issues of their own going on, which make the novel more interesting and engaging, as there's more than just a tortured romance. 

This is the first in a series and does end on a truly wicked cliff hanger. I do find I need book two asap! 

   The writing is good, there is a tendency to use plot devices for information dumping (the entire Street team spends one night telling each other the origin of their nick names- which one would have assumed they would have done earlier) and it is easy to spot the "twists" coming up- BUT- this somehow didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. 

The characters all have intense trauma in their past and I do recommend looking at trigger warnings before reading or gifting this one. 

I am very appreciative of Macmillan Audio which allowed me to listen and review for you! 

First Published :  11/25/25

Pages: 512

Available as an Audio Book :  yes ~11 hours

Trigger Warnings:   death, violence,  parental loss,  Suicide, references to past SA, Suicidal ideation, drug use, on page sexual encounters,  (this is not a full list, read responsibly)