Joey by Sadie Kincaid
Summary of Joey:
Joey by Sadie Kincaid is a dark mafia romance in the Chicago Ruthless series, following Joey Moretti and Maximo DiMarco through forbidden attraction, mafia loyalty, danger, and secrets that threaten their chance at happiness.
- Guide
- Summary, key ideas, review, and FAQ
- Reader fit
- Dark romance readers: A strong fit for readers who seek intense emotional stakes, danger, and morally complicated romantic dynamics
- Key concepts
- Forbidden attraction, Mafia loyalty, Protective obsession, etc.
What Is Joey by Sadie Kincaid About?
Joey centers on Joey Moretti, described as a mafia princess, and Maximo DiMarco, a notorious Cosa Nostra enforcer and her brothers’ best friend. Their relationship begins from protection and long-standing attraction, then grows more dangerous as Max’s past and the pressures of their mafia world close in around them.
Key Takeaways from Joey
Joey is a dark mafia romance connected to Sadie Kincaid’s Chicago Ruthless series.
The core romance uses a brother’s-best-friend setup with forbidden attraction and high emotional stakes.
Mafia loyalty, family power, secrets, and danger drive much of the conflict.
Max is positioned as a dangerous, protective, possessive romantic lead with a dark past.
The book is described in listings as a standalone, though it belongs to an interconnected series.
What Readers Learn from Joey
Readers get a romance-centered exploration of desire under pressure: how protection can become possessive, how family loyalty complicates agency, and how secrets from the past can threaten intimacy. The book’s main value is emotional and genre-driven rather than instructional.
Key Concepts
Forbidden attraction
Joey’s connection with Max is complicated by his closeness to her brothers and his position in the mafia world.
Mafia loyalty
Family hierarchy, allegiance, and power shape the risks surrounding the romance.
Protective obsession
Max’s role as Joey’s protector intensifies both the emotional pull and the danger of the relationship.
Secrets from the past
Max’s dark history creates tension and threatens the possibility of a stable future with Joey.
Interconnected standalone
The book is listed as part of the Chicago Ruthless series while also being described as readable as a standalone romance.
About Sadie Kincaid
Sadie Kincaid is associated in retailer and publisher listings with dark mafia romance. Joey is part of her Chicago Ruthless series, which focuses on intense romance, mafia families, danger, and high-stakes emotional conflict.
Book Review
Joey is built for readers who want a dark, trope-forward mafia romance rather than a quiet contemporary love story. Its appeal comes from the combination of a mafia princess heroine, a dangerous protector, brother’s-best-friend tension, and secrets that put the relationship under pressure. Readers who enjoy possessive leads, angst, forbidden romance, and romantic suspense are the strongest fit. Readers who prefer lighter romantic comedy, low heat, or minimal darkness may want to consider whether the tone matches their preferences.
Who Should Read Joey?
Dark romance readers
A strong fit for readers who seek intense emotional stakes, danger, and morally complicated romantic dynamics.
Mafia romance fans
Recommended for readers interested in mafia families, enforcers, loyalty, and power-driven romantic suspense.
Brother’s-best-friend trope fans
A good match for readers who enjoy forbidden attraction complicated by family ties and long-standing familiarity.
Series-connected romance readers
A fit for readers who like interconnected standalone books within a larger fictional world.
Readers seeking lighter romance
Less ideal for readers who want a soft rom-com, low-conflict romance, or a story without darker genre elements.
Read or Listen
For the full book or audiobook, use official retailers, libraries, or authorized audiobook platforms. BeFreed can help you review the premise, key ideas, and reader-fit notes before deciding whether to read or listen to the complete novel.
Reader Discussion
Reader conversations around Joey often focus on series order, whether the book works as a standalone, and how its dark mafia romance tropes compare with the rest of Chicago Ruthless.
Memorable Quotes
Even casual dating became impossible.
Their chemistry is explosive and undeniable.
She admits she "would gladly drop to her knees for this man."
This is MY fucking life.
Save Summary
Get the Joey summary as a free PDF or EPUB. Print it or read offline anytime.
FAQ
Joey is a dark mafia romance about Joey Moretti and Maximo DiMarco, a Cosa Nostra enforcer whose role as protector and family-connected insider makes their attraction dangerous and forbidden.
Yes. Joey is listed as book two in Sadie Kincaid’s Chicago Ruthless series and is described in available listings as an interconnected standalone.
It is best suited to readers who enjoy dark mafia romance, brother’s-best-friend tension, possessive romantic leads, age-gap dynamics, and high-stakes romantic suspense.
It is worth considering if you like intense, trope-forward dark romance. Readers who prefer light, low-conflict romance may find the tone less aligned with their taste.
Audiobook listings for Joey appear in major audiobook retail results. Use official audiobook platforms, libraries, or authorized retailers for listening options.
Sadie Kincaid is an Amazon #1 bestselling spicy romance author based in the UK who has sold over 4 million books. She began writing in 2016 following personal tragedy and specializes in dark mafia romance featuring feisty heroines and morally grey alpha males. Kincaid holds degrees in community and criminal justice and writes across multiple bestselling series, including London Ruthless and Chicago Ruthless, with a devoted fanbase drawn to her emotionally charged storytelling.
