The Astakos Syndicate
FAQ
Do I have to read them in order?
No. Each book is a standalone romance with its own couple and a complete happy ending. Reading in order gives you the bigger family story, which runs underneath all eight books and resolves in Book 8, so save that one for last.
Is there cheating?
No. Never, in any book.
Are there cliffhangers?
No romantic cliffhangers. Every couple ends together and happy. The family mystery carries from book to book and closes in the finale.
How spicy are they?
Most books are around 3.5 to 4 out of 5 with open-door scenes. Riptide Vows (Book 5) is a slower burn. The exact level for each book is on the reading order page.
Are they in Kindle Unlimited?
Yes. Every book in the series is in Kindle Unlimited, and you can also buy the Kindle edition. Some books are already in paperback, with the rest on the way.
Where is the series set?
On the US Gulf Coast, where the Drakos family, a Greek-American family, built a fortune on salt flats and a deep-water port, and on whatever moves through them after dark.
Is this dark romance?
It is mafia romance on the darker side: violence, threats and men who do terrible things for their family. The love stories themselves are devoted and possessive, and the heroes fall first. See the content warnings below.
Is there something free?
Yes. Before the Vows, a prequel novella from Salvatore's point of view, is free when you join the reader list. Get it here.
When do the next books come out?
Books 1 to 6 are out now. Book 7, Salt and Vows, comes out on November 17 and Book 8, Last Tide Vows, on December 8, 2026. Both are on pre-order.
Content warnings
This is a dark romance series for adults 18+. Across the series there is organized-crime violence and the threat of it, references to murder, death and grief. The heroine of Book 1 tends the family's dead, so funerals and the handling of the dead are part of the world. There are open-door sex scenes between adult characters. There is no cheating.
| Book | Content note | Heat |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The Saltworks Vows | Organized-crime violence, references to murder, grief. | 4 of 5, open door |
| 2. Buried Vows | Organized-crime violence, references to murder, grief. | 4 of 5, open door |
| 3. Saltbound Vows | Organized-crime violence, references to murder, grief. | 4 of 5, open door |
| 4. Undertow Vows | Organized-crime violence, references to murder, divided loyalties. | 3.5 of 5, open door |
| 5. Riptide Vows | Organized-crime violence, a price on her head, a hunt. | 3 of 5, slow burn |
| 6. Anchored Vows | Organized-crime violence, grief, the handling of the dead. | 3.5 of 5, open door |
| 7. Salt and Vows | Organized-crime violence, grief, the handling of the dead. | 4 of 5, open door |
| 8. Last Tide Vows | Organized-crime violence, grief, the handling of the dead. | 3.5 of 5, open door |
Questions about a specific book? Write to saskiaveris@proton.me.