51 pages 1-hour read

Daisy Haites

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021

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Chapters 17-36Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence and sexual content.

Chapter 17 Summary: “Julian”

Julian takes his boat out to discuss an upcoming job with the boys. Everyone agrees to the proposed Klimt heist. Julian knows Daisy wouldn’t want him working with Brown due to his trafficking history, but he wants the money.

Chapter 18 Summary: “Christian”

Christian is worried, because he hasn’t talked to Daisy in several days. He knows Romeo is in town but dismisses his concerns. He also muses on Magnolia’s current relationship with Tom England, doubting it will last. While at the club one night, he runs into Daisy. Romeo is in tow. Christian tries to dismiss his frustrations, reminding himself they’re only friends anyway. Alone, Romeo informs Christian that he and Daisy were together for six years and grew up together. Daisy interrupts, accusing Christian of firing Matt because he was jealous. Christian denies it and questions Daisy about her relationship with Romeo. She insists he’s her best friend and saved her life numerous times.

Chapter 19 Summary: “Daisy”

Julian makes Miguel take Daisy home. Alone, Daisy mulls over her relationships with Christian and Romeo. The next day, she spends time with Romeo, thankful for some company. She doesn’t think they have a future and wonders if Julian would support their relationship now. Later in the day, Tiller turns up. Romeo is furious to hear about his investigation. He’s even more angry when he witnesses Tiller and Daisy flirting.

Chapter 20 Summary: “Christian”

Christian feels confused about his relationship with Daisy. He worries she’s mad at him but keeps telling himself they’re only friends. To distract himself, he hangs out at the Park Lane house with Henry, Jonah, and Julian. He ends up asking Julian about Daisy and Romeo. Julian reiterates that they have a long history together, and Romeo has repeatedly saved Daisy’s life. He warns Christian that dating Daisy could threaten him. Christian insists they’re only having sex and he isn’t interested in her romantically.

Chapter 21 Summary: “Julian”

Julian reflects on his and Daisy’s childhood. He remembers the day their family was attacked at the beach. He and Daisy saw both of their parents get murdered by another gang. Daisy was eight and Julian was 18. He assumed immediate control of the family business and Daisy’s care. Although Daisy is an adult now, Julian reminds himself that it’s his responsibility to protect her.

Chapter 22 Summary: “Christian”

Christian arranges a trip to Prague for himself and the boys. He feels annoyed that BJ and Magnolia aren’t there. He is always waiting for them to break up so he can be with Magnolia again. At the same time, he keeps thinking about Daisy, still unsure what his feelings mean.


Back in London, Christian visits Daisy. He feels emotional but reminds himself he’s still in love with Magnolia. To prove a point, he tells Daisy he slept with someone else in Prague. An angry Daisy demands that he leave.

Chapter 23 Summary: “Daisy”

Daisy begs Julian to let her and the boys go to Italy. Julian relents, and they fly out of London. At Lake Como, Daisy wonders if she and Romeo should sleep together. He carries her bags to her room and insists he’d do anything to be with her again.

Chapter 24 Summary: “Julian”

Julian reflects on his dating history. He’s had countless sexual partners, but doesn’t believe in commitment because of his work. He wonders if Daisy has been imitating his patterns all these years. Either way, he reminds himself he’d do anything to protect her. He’s still conflicted about Romeo, but at least knows Romeo would do anything to keep Daisy safe.

Chapter 25 Summary: “Christian”

Christian goes out for drinks with Henry, Jonah, and one of Jonah’s former girlfriends, Taura. Taura interrogates Christian about his relationship with Daisy, insisting he prove he doesn’t like Daisy by kissing her. Christian kisses Taura and immediately realizes he wants to be with Daisy.

Chapter 26 Summary: “Daisy”

Daisy and the boys visit the Bambrillas’ bar on the Italian Lakes. She and Romeo have been spending all their time in Italy together. She likes being around him, but keeps reflecting on their relationship and wondering what it means. Then Tavie Jukes arrives unexpectedly. Daisy is furious when she discovers Romeo and Tavie were seeing each other in New York. Daisy gets upset and dismisses herself to the bar. A stranger approaches her and buys her a drink. Daisy attacks him when she realizes he drugged her drink. Julian and Romeo immediately intercede and escort Daisy out.


At the hotel, Daisy dismisses herself to her room. Romeo finds her and explains himself. Daisy is still upset, but doesn’t resist his touch when he hugs and kisses her.

Chapter 27 Summary: “Daisy”

Daisy and Romeo have sex repeatedly. Afterwards, Romeo reiterates how much he cares for Daisy.

Chapter 28 Summary: “Julian”

Julian meets with Brown again about the Klimt job. He knows getting involved with him is dangerous, but tells himself he has nothing to worry about. He then gives Brown the terms of their contract.

Chapter 29 Summary: “Daisy”

Daisy and Romeo continue sleeping together throughout their time in Italy. Unsure what she feels, Daisy reminds herself that she and Romeo have been friends forever. She fears their relationship will play out as it did in the past.


Back in London, Christian visits Daisy. They catch up on their respective trips. Christian is annoyed that Daisy has been with Romeo, and tells her he’s been sleeping with other women, too. Daisy reminds herself that Christian will never reciprocate her feelings.

Chapter 30 Summary: “Christian”

The next morning, Christian is overwhelmed by guilt. He regrets upsetting Daisy, but still can’t make sense of his feelings. Downstairs, he’s annoyed to discover Magnolia hanging out with Henry. He snaps at Magnolia, accidentally revealing that Daisy is with Romeo instead of him. Magnolia does nothing to reassure Christian and leaves for lunch with Henry.

Chapter 31 Summary: “Daisy”

Daisy takes a trip to Paris. She’s glad to get away but can’t stop worrying about the upcoming Belvedere job. Suddenly hating her life, she imagines what she’d do if she were normal. Meanwhile, everywhere she goes reminds her of Christian. She even thinks about him when she’s having sex with Romeo.


Daisy visits the Louvre with Romeo. She’s thrilled by the Hersilia painting—one of her favorite works of art. Suddenly, Tiller appears. Daisy flirts with him, insisting he’s been following her around Europe because he likes her.

Chapter 32 Summary: “Christian”

Christian takes an impromptu trip to Greece. He thinks about Daisy the entire time he’s away. Over dinner one night, Christian tries not to get upset watching Magnolia flirt with all of his friends. An argument ensues amongst the group. BJ doesn’t like how Christian is treating Magnolia, and he reminds Christian that he and Magnolia are together. Upset, Christian dismisses himself.

Chapter 33 Summary: “Daisy”

Back at their rental, Daisy and Romeo argue about Tiller. Romeo thinks Daisy is sleeping with him despite her protestations. Daisy begs him to have sex, but Romeo is convinced she doesn’t care about him. Daisy insists she doesn’t care about Christian anymore, and they kiss.

Chapter 34 Summary: “Christian”

Christian goes for a run to distract himself from thinking about Daisy. He still can’t get her out of his head and worries he sabotaged their chance at a relationship. He also fears no one will ever want a long-term relationship with him.


The next day, Christian runs into Magnolia on the beach. He confronts her for using him and toying with his friends. When her friend Gus interjects, Christian considers fighting him. Afraid of himself, he leaves. He stews over his interaction with Magnolia, annoyed that she and BJ are allegedly back together.

Chapter 35 Summary: “Julian”

On the way back to London, Julian muses on Daisy and Romeo’s relationship. He remembers his decision to send Romeo to New York four years prior. He knows this hurt Daisy, but tells himself it was for the best at the time. Back at the house, he tells Daisy she can be with Romeo now if she wants. She reveals that she’s in love with Christian.

Chapter 36 Summary: “Christian”

Over breakfast, the boys tease Christian about his feelings for Daisy. They insist he either fight Romeo or profess his feelings to Daisy.

Chapters 17-36 Analysis

Daisy’s increasingly fraught familial and romantic relationships convey the powerful Influence of Family Legacy on the individual’s sense of self. For Daisy, being a part of a crime family is central to how she sees and understands herself. Since she was eight years old, she has been privy to violence and upheaval. At 20 years old, she understands that “racketeering, extortion, party drugs,” “arms dealing,” and “planning [arts] heists” are commonplace (120). These staples of her familial life complicate her ability to exercise her free will and pursue the relationships and future she most wants, holding her back from the life and identity that feels most true to her. While Daisy loves Julian and the Lost Boys, she is constantly frustrated by her powerlessness and the way her family and friends use her for their own ends. No matter what she does, Daisy risks losing her closest confidantes or compromising her family’s reputation. These fraught circumstances complicate her ability to make her own choices and pursue her self-discovery on her own terms.


Hastings incorporates several classic romance tropes to propel the narrative forward and amplify the narrative tension. Staples of the crime romance—or mafia romance—genre include revenge, betrayal, dark pasts, forbidden relationships, second chances, secrets, lies, violence, and danger. In Daisy Haites, Hastings leans into these tropes to intensify the stakes of Daisy’s primary romantic relationships. For example, Daisy’s trips to Italy and France with Romeo challenge her regard for their former relationship. The ex-lovers’ dynamic in the present triggers Daisy’s memories of Romeo’s heroism. Because he’s faithfully protected her from violence over the years, she wonders if they belong together. As she tells Christian, Romeo is “important to [her],” because he “saved [her] life” (133). At the same time, her discovery of Romeo and Tavia’s recent affair introduces an element of betrayal. Her emotions vacillate between extremes because she is never sure who she can trust. Romeo’s unpredictable behavior and ongoing deceptions destabilize Daisy’s confidence in him.


The mixed signals of Christian’s lingering feelings for Magnolia and jealousy of Romeo further illustrate The Complexities of Navigating Love and Betrayal as Daisy endeavors to manage her circumstances. Christian proudly tells Daisy about all of the women he’s slept with, but also interrogates Daisy about her relationship with Romeo. His presence in her life and consistent refusal to commit to her augment Daisy’s confusion and make her feel caught between her concurrent relationships with Christian and Romeo. She has feelings for both men, but neither Christian nor Romeo is transparent, consistent, or trustworthy. Their lies, secrets, desperation for revenge, and tendency toward violence heighten Daisy’s fears and throw her sense of self into question.


Julian’s first-person point of view underscores his obsession with controlling his sister’s life. Julian’s character embodies power, control, and obsession—all key features of the mafia romance genre—by constantly dictating every aspect of Daisy’s life. While Julian’s intentions are good—inspired by his refusal to “let anyone [hurt his] family again”—Julian’s dominance intensifies Daisy’s Struggle for Personal Autonomy (147). Julian’s chapters feature protracted internal monologues, which provide insight into his regard for Daisy. His view of his sister as “The pressure point […] this wide, exposed gaping nerve [he has] for the whole fucking world to press on” underscores her importance to him and his desperation to keep her safe (163). Julian’s violent language affects an intense narrative mood. Metaphors like “pressure point” and “exposed gaping nerve” evoke notions of physical harm and danger.


Julian’s obsessive control intensifies Daisy’s sense of entrapment and heightens her frustration with her circumstances. Further, as Julian’s first-person chapters accumulate on the page, they collectively augment the narrative tension. The more Julian obsesses about Daisy’s actions, behaviors, and relationships, the more dehumanized she appears from Julian’s point of view. His chapters cumulatively foreshadow the devolution of the siblings’ relationship. For years, they’ve been one another’s only constants. In the future, the narrative subtext portends that Julian’s dictatorial rule over Daisy will threaten their familial ties.

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