“May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.“

From the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of 44 Chapters About 4 Men (inspiration for one of the most-watched Netflix series of all time) comes a dark mafia romance steeped in Irish folklore.

I can’t remember anymore if my grandfather’s eyes were blue or green, but I’ll never forget the way they wrinkled at the corners when he laughed at one of his own jokes. Or the way they sparkled with mischief when he told me tales about the magical creatures that dwelled in the forest behind his humble Irish sheep farm—shy fairies who liked to eat tea biscuits, cruel witches who liked to eat children, a moody lake spirit with a taste for expensive gifts.

As a child, I believed every fantastical word. But when he warned me about the mute boy who also lurked in those woods, the one the priest had declared to be the spawn of Satan himself, I refused to listen. Kellen wasn’t evil. He was kind, and beautiful, and special, and hurting. He was my friend. And with every summer I spent stolen away with him in those enchanted woods, he grew to become so much more.

But when I return to Glenshire as an adult, grieving and engaged to someone else, all those legends quickly morph into nightmares.

My grandfather had been right about everything, especially the boy.

If only I had listened.

Avery’s Thoughts About the Book

Get the tissue boxes ready…

Oooof, this book is much heavier than I expected going in! I discovered B.B. Easton with the premier of Sex/Life, the Netflix series inspired by her book 44 Chapters About 4 Men. I loved the series and when I saw her promoting a dark romance title, I immediately scooped it up without reading any reviews or the blurb (What? The cover was hot. Look at that man.). That was back in September and I just got around to listening to the audiobook.

Darby is an all around likable character who has some really horrible shit happen to her and, by some miracle, still manages to hang on to her optimism. Kellan, on the other hand, mostly allows his darkness to devour him. You meet two sweet children in the opening of the book, and then, after being apart for years, they are reunited as adults and they have been shaped into much different people by their respective circumstances. But the spark of magic there was between them hasn’t gone anywhere.

This story takes you on a thrill ride with some super-intense moments throughout. We encounter the Irish mafia, the Russian bratva, and a handful of straight-up monsters. Throw in a lake witch for good measure and you’ve got yourself an adventure. Additionally, I would encourage readers to pay attention to the opening note from the author and the ending note from the author. There is a really interesting (and heartbreaking) story behind the origins of this book.

Being a dark romance novel, I did not expect the book to kick off through the eyes of a child. It lasts a few chapters and as soon as our main character Darby is an adult, the storyline takes off like a rocket. This is a story of two people coming together who are both deeply damaged by different things. While it’s not a fantasy novel in any way, there are some things about it that have an almost fantastical feel to them. It’s got a charming effect on the story.

Regarding the audiobook, both of these narrators were new to me. Elizabeth Klett is a well established name in the audiobook game. Her counterpart, Eric Nolan… omg….

I could listen to that man speak for days… He doesn’t have many Audible credits to his name but you should definitely check him out. Listen to the Devil of Dublin sample here.

I didn’t list it in the tropes because I don’t know if it’s what the author intended but this one almost ends up being a grumpy & sunshine story. In a way. Maybe not. Listen to or read the book and then come back here to tell me what you thought.

Heat Level
🔥🔥🔥

Avery’s Rating
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Tropes Used
Mafia Romance, Dark Secret,
Emotional Scars, Past Trauma,
Bad Boy Romance, Soul Mates,
First Love