Devil of Dublin by BB Easton
Mafia Romance/Gothic Romance
September 22, 2022
Art by Easton
Review by Jen
When I think of BB Easton, I immediately go to the Netflix series, Sex/Life. I realize she’s written MANY books, but this is always my first thought. I started watching the series with my husband, and just couldn’t stick with it. The eyeball rolls from the hubs were just too much to take for me. Although, there is that one scene. If you know, you know ;)
Devil of Dublin by BB Easton was a much better experience than watching Sex/Life. I loved it!!! This is a fast-paced, angsty, soul mate story set in Ireland.
The FMC, Darby, lives with her mom in the US. Her mom is from a small town in Ireland, and every year, she and Darby go back to visit Darby’s grandfather. While visiting, her grandfather tells her a story about a nearby lake and the spirit that lives there. Darby is fearless. And, enamored with his fairytales and magical stories. One day while exploring, she meets Kellan. A beautiful mute boy who lives with the local priest. It’s a very bad arrangement. Kellen’s the town outsider; the one she’s been told to avoid. Every summer Darby looks for Kellan and they become close friends; both counting the days until she visits.
Then, Darby just stops coming around. Kellan thinks she’s abandoned him and the hell that is his life. Darby is sadly living in her own hell. Her mother has died of cancer and she’s staying with her trashy dad and his abusive band buddies.
When her grandfather dies, Darby heads back to Ireland with her new fiancé. It’s the first time she’s been there in years and even though she’s committed to another guy, she longs to see Kellan. A few quick points to share to tease you, but not spoil the book! First, her fiancé is a major dick. There’s a major power imbalance and he does something terrible. Second, Kellan is still very much into Darby, he’s also (as the title implies) a wayyyy different guy than he was back when they were kids. Third, they share some really awful things in common that happened after they last saw each other. Two tortured people.
I’m a bit of a sucker for soul mates, fated mates, and couples that were meant to be. I also like fantastical tropes. The fantasy here isn’t a huge show stopper, it’s quiet, sweet, and lovely. The characters are interesting in that they both went in separate directions. Darby became almost submissive when she was vibrant and joyful as a child. While Kellan was a quiet and skittish kid. And as an adult, he’s large and intense.
There are trigger warnings- sexual abuse being a big one. I didn’t find it to be super dark though. Sure, Kellan is the hot anti-hero. He also has that “I only hurt the bad guys” thing happening. They’re both wounded MCs that go from friends to lovers. If you’re in the mood for a unique mafia romance, this is for you!
Grade A
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