Exploring The Art Of Blending Romance And Suspense In A Mafia World
Soraya Naomi discusses her inspirations, creative process, and the themes of loyalty, forbidden love, and suspense that define her bestselling Chicago Syndicate series, blending romance with a dangerous mafia backdrop.
Soraya Naomi is a masterful storyteller who has carved a unique niche in the world of dark romance with her gripping Chicago Syndicate series. Her ability to weave intense, forbidden love stories against the backdrop of a dangerous mafia world has captivated readers across the globe. With her debut novel For Fallon earning the title of “Best Breakout Novel 2014” and her series becoming a #1 Amazon Organized Crime bestseller, Soraya’s work is a testament to her talent for creating emotionally charged, suspenseful narratives. Her characters are as complex as they are compelling, and her stories strike a perfect balance between heart-pounding tension and tender romance.
In this exclusive interview with Reader’s House Magazine, Soraya Naomi shares the inspirations behind her celebrated series, her creative process, and the themes that drive her storytelling. From her love of classic mafia tales to her background in Arts & Culture, Soraya offers a fascinating glimpse into the mind of an author who continues to push the boundaries of the romance genre.
What inspired you to write the Chicago Syndicate series, and how did you develop the characters and their relationships within that world?
I’ve always been a huge fan of The Godfather, Goodfellas, and The Sopranos. Those iconic stories sparked my fascination with the Italian mafia. At the same time, I’ve been an avid romance reader since my teenage years. About ten years ago, I discovered dark romance and mafia romance, and I was hooked. The morally grey characters from these movies and books intrigued me so much that I decided to write a mafia book of my own. What started as one book soon turned into a duet, and before I knew it, it evolved into a 10-book series. I developed the characters as the story grew, building the family dynamics that we recognize from those classic mafia stories and combining them with intense romance. The result was a blend of suspenseful, highly romantic novels that I’m really proud of.
How has your background in Arts & Culture influenced your writing style and storytelling approach in your novels?
Having a degree in Arts and Culture, which focused on English studies, gave me a strong foundation for becoming a writer. With majors like Literature and Film Analysis, I gained valuable insights into story structure and tropes—essential knowledge for any writer. Funny enough, I never knew I wanted to be a writer, but somehow, everything just came together.
In For Cesare, how did you approach the challenge of creating a second chance romance between Cesare and Kinsey while navigating the complexities of their past and the mafia backdrop?
For Cesare is a novella I originally wrote for a mafia anthology. It’s a short, second-chance romance where I had limited pages to tell the story, which is why it’s very fast-paced. I wanted to quickly immerse readers into my mafia world, where killers reign supreme. Despite the ruthless backdrop, there are still soft, romantic moments between the male and female lead. Their shared past makes readers really root for them.
Can you share any insights into how you balance the themes of forbidden love and suspense in your writing, especially in the context of the Chicago Syndicate series?
Balancing forbidden love and suspense is really at the core of the Chicago Syndicate series. I think what makes it work is how intertwined the romance and the mafia world are. The characters live in a dangerous, high-stakes environment where trust is hard to come by, which adds tension to the romance. The forbidden love aspect, especially in the mafia context, is naturally suspenseful because it feels like the characters are always walking a fine line. They have to navigate both their emotional connection and the constant threat of violence or betrayal.
I also like to blend those intense, suspenseful moments with softer, more intimate ones, so the readers feel the push and pull between danger and love. That contrast is what keeps the story fast-paced but still emotionally charged.
In For Adriano, how did you develop the relationship between Adriano and Camilla, especially considering their shared history and the tension created by the forbidden nature of their connection?
In For Adriano, the relationship between Adriano and Camilla is deeply rooted in their past, especially their friendship before she disappeared. Camilla was already in love with him, but Adriano hadn’t fully realized what she meant to him—until she was gone. His obsession with finding her drives so much of the story. But once he does, they can’t just pick up where they left off. By order of his boss, they’re forbidden to be together, which adds a lot of tension and secrecy. That dynamic creates the perfect setup for a forbidden romance. Their connection is undeniable, but the risks are real, so every moment they share feels like they’re walking a fine line between desire and danger. I loved weaving those emotional layers together with the suspense of their circumstances to make their love story as intense and complex as possible.
What themes or messages do you hope readers take away from For Adriano, and how do they relate to the broader narrative of the Chicago Syndicate series?
In For Adriano, one of the big themes I wanted to explore is the power of loyalty—both to the people you love and to the mafia world they’re trapped in. Camilla and Adriano have this intense connection from their past, but their love is tested by the mafia’s rules and the dangerous life they’re caught up in. So I hope readers take away a sense of how complicated loyalty can be—sometimes it’s not clear who or what deserves it most.
Another theme is second chances, but not in a simple way. Their past gives them a reason to fight for each other, but because of their circumstances, it’s not easy to just pick things up again. That tension between what they want and what’s allowed creates a lot of conflict, which ties into the larger narrative of the Chicago Syndicate series. All the characters are navigating love and loyalty in a world that’s constantly trying to tear them apart, and that balance of romance and suspense is what I think really drives the series.
