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Irish
He was the man I was warned to stay away from.
With green eyes and an easy smile, Frank McCabe stole me away from the nightmares that awaited me at home.
But the son of the Irish Mob would never be mine. I belonged to the Italians. And the moment my mother sold me to the head of the Italian Mafia, I became the one the people of Boston were warned about.
The only person more feared than me in our city is the Irish Ghost.
When I finally flee my marital prison with my sons and my sister in tow, I unwittingly run straight into the ghost of the Irishman who died in a fiery explosion years ago.
We’re playing a game, only I’m not sure if it’s one of cat and mouse, or if he’s just after my heart.
The weapons he uses are his fists, when he teaches my sons to box, his hands, when he holds me as we dance, and the small town he now calls home.
Some call him Frank, others Ghost, but to me he’s always just been Irish.
Authors Note: Irish is a small town romantic suspense stand alone that features fan favorite Frank McCabe from Whiskey Lies and the Boston Billionaire Series.
With green eyes and an easy smile, Frank McCabe stole me away from the nightmares that awaited me at home.
But the son of the Irish Mob would never be mine. I belonged to the Italians. And the moment my mother sold me to the head of the Italian Mafia, I became the one the people of Boston were warned about.
The only person more feared than me in our city is the Irish Ghost.
When I finally flee my marital prison with my sons and my sister in tow, I unwittingly run straight into the ghost of the Irishman who died in a fiery explosion years ago.
We’re playing a game, only I’m not sure if it’s one of cat and mouse, or if he’s just after my heart.
The weapons he uses are his fists, when he teaches my sons to box, his hands, when he holds me as we dance, and the small town he now calls home.
Some call him Frank, others Ghost, but to me he’s always just been Irish.
Authors Note: Irish is a small town romantic suspense stand alone that features fan favorite Frank McCabe from Whiskey Lies and the Boston Billionaire Series.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 18, 2023
1387 people are currently reading
7307 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 768 reviews
January 29, 2024
Audiobook was out of this world, the narrators Joe Arden ( my babydaddy someday hopefully) and Maxine Mitchell did such a great job! They brought this story to life
All you need to know about this book:
4,5 ☆
3/5🌶️
🖤 runaway mother
🖤 dark secret
🖤 mafia
🖤 second chance romance
🖤fmc and mmc both over 30y <- now this is what i live for
🖤swoon worthy mmc
🖤forced proximity
THIS BOOK GIRLSSS.. I slept so happily after reading this. THIS WAS SO SATISFYING.
So much emotions, the ending had me crying happy tears!
↪ Ellie runs away from his husband with her 2 sons and little sister. Trying to get out of the mafia life. They end up living together with her childhood love, Frank. The man who left her behind, the man who supposedly died years back. Frank takes in the boys like his own, teaching them how to box, ride bikes and so on. Ellie is holding on to a secret, one of the reasons she had to leave and it's all falling apart.
Ellie is such a strong woman. She is close to her 40s and man she is a killer!😉 Suffering from nightmares due to years of abuse. This woman STOLE MY HEART. She is amazing in every way. She is doing everything to keep her babies alive and well.
Frank.. with the voice of Joe Arden? Yeah i was on my knees the entire time. This was amazing. He was amazing. He was so sweet towards her and the kids. How he interacted with the kids was everything!!! This man who had to "die" to save his loved ones, he sacrificed so much just to be a ghost in the background. Alone and away from his own family. I'll give a spoiler and say he wept at the end, and i did too. ♥
And the spice, yeah that was.. something.
Mhm. MHMMHM. He might be in his 40s but he still got it!
Overall, yes this was an amazing dark, second chance romance with enough of mystery, pain and spice. I loved every second of it, the narration was on point and the story flowed easily. I couldnt stop listening. I loved all the characters in this and the best part for me was prolly how both leads were actually mature adults.
I wanted to give this a 5 star, it deserves it but i thought i need to start being more strict with my reads..... but we can say 4,5 is 5. It basically is right.??
All you need to know about this book:
4,5 ☆
3/5🌶️
🖤 runaway mother
🖤 dark secret
🖤 mafia
🖤 second chance romance
🖤fmc and mmc both over 30y <- now this is what i live for
🖤swoon worthy mmc
🖤forced proximity
THIS BOOK GIRLSSS.. I slept so happily after reading this. THIS WAS SO SATISFYING.
So much emotions, the ending had me crying happy tears!
↪ Ellie runs away from his husband with her 2 sons and little sister. Trying to get out of the mafia life. They end up living together with her childhood love, Frank. The man who left her behind, the man who supposedly died years back. Frank takes in the boys like his own, teaching them how to box, ride bikes and so on. Ellie is holding on to a secret, one of the reasons she had to leave and it's all falling apart.
Ellie is such a strong woman. She is close to her 40s and man she is a killer!😉 Suffering from nightmares due to years of abuse. This woman STOLE MY HEART. She is amazing in every way. She is doing everything to keep her babies alive and well.
Frank.. with the voice of Joe Arden? Yeah i was on my knees the entire time. This was amazing. He was amazing. He was so sweet towards her and the kids. How he interacted with the kids was everything!!! This man who had to "die" to save his loved ones, he sacrificed so much just to be a ghost in the background. Alone and away from his own family. I'll give a spoiler and say he wept at the end, and i did too. ♥
And the spice, yeah that was.. something.
Mhm. MHMMHM. He might be in his 40s but he still got it!
Overall, yes this was an amazing dark, second chance romance with enough of mystery, pain and spice. I loved every second of it, the narration was on point and the story flowed easily. I couldnt stop listening. I loved all the characters in this and the best part for me was prolly how both leads were actually mature adults.
I wanted to give this a 5 star, it deserves it but i thought i need to start being more strict with my reads..... but we can say 4,5 is 5. It basically is right.??
April 30, 2024
it’s the way i could not put this book down!!!
he’s supposed to be dead, she’s supposed to be married to a monster yet they both wind up at the same house in a small town for the summer.
frank and ellie were childhood friends who through miscommunications and outside forces, never became more but boy, is frank ready to pick up where they left off!!!! except they’re both kind of on the run.
their banter and chemistry was everything. it was giving mindf*ck series + catherine cowles style suspense and the plot twist reallyyyyy got me.
he’s supposed to be dead, she’s supposed to be married to a monster yet they both wind up at the same house in a small town for the summer.
frank and ellie were childhood friends who through miscommunications and outside forces, never became more but boy, is frank ready to pick up where they left off!!!! except they’re both kind of on the run.
their banter and chemistry was everything. it was giving mindf*ck series + catherine cowles style suspense and the plot twist reallyyyyy got me.
January 12, 2024
Just listened to the audio of this one. I liked it SO much.
I've never quite read a Mafia Romance like this one. I liked the second chance, the forbidden Romeo and Juliet vibes, the adorable kids and the trauma Irish & Ellie. There were very high stakes but I liked the little haven away from the world they create together.
Ellie is running for sanctuary and freedom for the first time in her life. Her kids and her sister rely on her to get them away from her sadistic husband. When circumstances put her in the same house as her long lost childhood love.. years and pain and secrets have kept them apart for too long. She will do anything to keep them all safe, just as she has been doing for years.
There was a lot of baggage to unpack and lots of obstacles stacked against them, but the way they overcame it all was beautiful. Love always wins.
Irish is in a pretty interesting predicament, one he is hoping to get out of and get back to his life. But he has to decide if the cost, which appears to be Ellie's freedom is worth it. Of course, he quickly falls for her and her kids and things are not gonna go the way he planned.
Overall, this story was engaging and exciting to me. I was drawn back to my audio book non-stop until I could finish. I know that is in large part to the Duet performances of Joe Arden & Maxine Mitchell. They elevated the content to a 5 star read for me. I just enjoyed them that much!
This was my first book by Brittanee Nicole and I am now eagerly awaiting more of her stories
5 stars
3.5 on the spice scale
I've never quite read a Mafia Romance like this one. I liked the second chance, the forbidden Romeo and Juliet vibes, the adorable kids and the trauma Irish & Ellie. There were very high stakes but I liked the little haven away from the world they create together.
Ellie is running for sanctuary and freedom for the first time in her life. Her kids and her sister rely on her to get them away from her sadistic husband. When circumstances put her in the same house as her long lost childhood love.. years and pain and secrets have kept them apart for too long. She will do anything to keep them all safe, just as she has been doing for years.
There was a lot of baggage to unpack and lots of obstacles stacked against them, but the way they overcame it all was beautiful. Love always wins.
Irish is in a pretty interesting predicament, one he is hoping to get out of and get back to his life. But he has to decide if the cost, which appears to be Ellie's freedom is worth it. Of course, he quickly falls for her and her kids and things are not gonna go the way he planned.
Overall, this story was engaging and exciting to me. I was drawn back to my audio book non-stop until I could finish. I know that is in large part to the Duet performances of Joe Arden & Maxine Mitchell. They elevated the content to a 5 star read for me. I just enjoyed them that much!
This was my first book by Brittanee Nicole and I am now eagerly awaiting more of her stories
5 stars
3.5 on the spice scale
October 19, 2023
Ugh. I was SO excited for this. Loved the premise that they were both killers known under and alias and that he didn't realize his childhood love, was also his obsession. But ultimately, I found it to be underwhelming. Frank is like what, 40? Acting like a 25 year old.
Let me start off with some positives:
A woman on the run? Love it. Single mom? Say less! Ellie was a bad ass and a great mom.
Ellie was such a fighter. Resilient and strong. After the horrific things she had to endure and how selfless she was with her sons and sister.
I loved that Frank took her boys under his wing so easily, and worked to earn their trust.
Again, two secret serial kills, freakin' loved that. Loved how she targeted her victims too.
We got to see some old characters! (':
Safety:
On to what ruined the romance for me. (These are just MY opinions, you can read/like whatever you want, we all have different preferences and triggers). I have very specific triggers and pet peeves.
I had really high hopes for Frank any maybe that’s where I went wrong. I think what he did was so damn childish, it just put a bad taste in my mouth for the rest of the book. He does put in a lot of work otherwise I suppose, so I'm being picky - but it's also the way it's (not) handled afterward as well is really what bothered me.
I will say SO MANY other things happened and it was really one twist after another. I had no issues with the plot twists and story itself. And everything outside of the romance plot was awesome and engaging. I was honestly more interested in the rest of the plot, and less interested in the couple.
By the end, I KNOW Frank really loves Ellie and Ellie loves Frank. They worked well together. I just felt a portion of the story was pointless and didn't serve the story, especially since it's never properly addressed.
Let me start off with some positives:
A woman on the run? Love it. Single mom? Say less! Ellie was a bad ass and a great mom.
Ellie was such a fighter. Resilient and strong. After the horrific things she had to endure and how selfless she was with her sons and sister.
I loved that Frank took her boys under his wing so easily, and worked to earn their trust.
Again, two secret serial kills, freakin' loved that. Loved how she targeted her victims too.
We got to see some old characters! (':
Safety:
On to what ruined the romance for me. (These are just MY opinions, you can read/like whatever you want, we all have different preferences and triggers). I have very specific triggers and pet peeves.
I had really high hopes for Frank any maybe that’s where I went wrong. I think what he did was so damn childish, it just put a bad taste in my mouth for the rest of the book. He does put in a lot of work otherwise I suppose, so I'm being picky - but it's also the way it's (not) handled afterward as well is really what bothered me.
I will say SO MANY other things happened and it was really one twist after another. I had no issues with the plot twists and story itself. And everything outside of the romance plot was awesome and engaging. I was honestly more interested in the rest of the plot, and less interested in the couple.
By the end, I KNOW Frank really loves Ellie and Ellie loves Frank. They worked well together. I just felt a portion of the story was pointless and didn't serve the story, especially since it's never properly addressed.
June 5, 2024
⋆.˚🦋༘⋆ Oh imagine that you run away from your husband and end up at the door of your childhood best friend's home who you thought was dead and also left you all alone when you were kids. IMAGINE THAT HE STILL LOVES YOU SO VERY MUCH AND IS NOW GOING TO DO EVERYTHING IN HIS POWER TO PROTECT YOU AND YOUR KIDS!!!
I've never read any Brittanee Nicole book, but hopefully this won't be my last. Irish was spectacular, I ate it upppp truly. I read like 70% when I first picked it up and had to go to sleep and leave it off because it was already 3 am. See? It was addicting, intriguing, and the romance made come back for more. I wanted to read more and more chapters, and see how Ellie and Frank/Irish were going to figure out their relationship.
This has very iconic, memorable moments that I'm sure many romance readers will adore, like:
♡ "You remember?" "I remember everything" >>>
♡ He has two basset hounds and when she finds out, she is shocked because they used to talk about getting two when they were kids and he actually GOT THEM?! and gave them the names they thought about too. And he taught them to protect her too without her even knowing it
♡ He sleeps outside her door whenever she has a nightmare, but he doesn't want to come in, because he knows she'll feel vulnerable and won't like him seeing her that way but he can't leave her alone and wants to always protect her so he sleeps outside her door :'(
♡ Him thinking about her sons as "our boys"
♡ Kissing someone else IN FRONT of the other while also looking at each other (jealousy scenes are my everything!)
And so many more moments tbh! I adore this book and wish I could forget all about it and reread it again so it will feel like a new book lmao. If you adore mafia romances, read it. If you adore second-chance romances, get it. If you love childhood best friends that grew apart but still love one another even two decades later, READ IT NOW.˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚
Content/trigger warnings for rape (to the heroine, on page, flashback, not the hero), domestic abuse, violence, blood, child abuse, and sexual and physical assault.
I've never read any Brittanee Nicole book, but hopefully this won't be my last. Irish was spectacular, I ate it upppp truly. I read like 70% when I first picked it up and had to go to sleep and leave it off because it was already 3 am. See? It was addicting, intriguing, and the romance made come back for more. I wanted to read more and more chapters, and see how Ellie and Frank/Irish were going to figure out their relationship.
This has very iconic, memorable moments that I'm sure many romance readers will adore, like:
♡ "You remember?" "I remember everything" >>>
♡ He has two basset hounds and when she finds out, she is shocked because they used to talk about getting two when they were kids and he actually GOT THEM?! and gave them the names they thought about too. And he taught them to protect her too without her even knowing it
♡ He sleeps outside her door whenever she has a nightmare, but he doesn't want to come in, because he knows she'll feel vulnerable and won't like him seeing her that way but he can't leave her alone and wants to always protect her so he sleeps outside her door :'(
♡ Him thinking about her sons as "our boys"
♡ Kissing someone else IN FRONT of the other while also looking at each other (jealousy scenes are my everything!)
And so many more moments tbh! I adore this book and wish I could forget all about it and reread it again so it will feel like a new book lmao. If you adore mafia romances, read it. If you adore second-chance romances, get it. If you love childhood best friends that grew apart but still love one another even two decades later, READ IT NOW.˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚
Content/trigger warnings for rape (to the heroine, on page, flashback, not the hero), domestic abuse, violence, blood, child abuse, and sexual and physical assault.
October 2, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
-Beta read-
I👏🏻ate👏🏻this👏🏻up!!
Such a good romantic suspense!!!
✨second chance
✨childhood lovers
✨single mom
✨romantic suspense
✨forced proximity
-Beta read-
I👏🏻ate👏🏻this👏🏻up!!
Such a good romantic suspense!!!
✨second chance
✨childhood lovers
✨single mom
✨romantic suspense
✨forced proximity
March 14, 2024
This is my first book by this author, and it will not be my last. I absolutely LOVED this!
I listened to the audiobook by Maxine Mitchell and Joe Arden, and it was excellent!
I really loved the plot of this book.
Frank McCabe/Irish, in order to save people he cares about, fakes his death and starts running the Irish Mob under an alias of the Irish Ghost. Only he is also working as a double agent for the FBI to dismantle the mob. He is also working to track down a serial killer known as Bella Morte.
Elena/Ellie is married to Lorenzo, the head of the Italian Mafia. He is extremely abusive to Elena. He also forces her to kill people in different crime organizations. She is Bella Morte. He forces her by holding her sister Alesia, Lorenzo, and Leo her son's, safety over her head. She also suffered abuse as a child at the hands of her uncle. Elena receives a call that a late family member she never met left her a house in the middle of nowhere. She uses this opportunity to get her family away from Lorenzo. There is only one problem, this is the same house Frank has been hiding out in for the last decade. They also happen to have been childhood best friends and had mutual feelings for each other. Until Frank disappeared.
I did not see the plot twists coming and enjoyed them!
This had great spice! Some authors write sexy scenes that are in no way cringe and are incredibly hot! Add Brittanee to that list. This also had a fair amount of comedy. Usually centered around the kids and Irish. I loved the boys!
The ending was nice and fluffy, I would have preferred a more gritty revenge. However, I understand why the author went in the direction she did.
5/5 stars
3/5 spice
5/5 narration
Tropes:
2nd Chance Romance
Childhood lovers
Double Agent
Mafia
FBI
Breeding Kink
Single Parent
Forced Proximity
Small Town
Possessive MMC
Strong FMC
"Who hurt you?"
Revenge
Triggers:
Murder
Past Sexual and Physical Abuse (not by MMC)
I listened to the audiobook by Maxine Mitchell and Joe Arden, and it was excellent!
I really loved the plot of this book.
Frank McCabe/Irish, in order to save people he cares about, fakes his death and starts running the Irish Mob under an alias of the Irish Ghost. Only he is also working as a double agent for the FBI to dismantle the mob. He is also working to track down a serial killer known as Bella Morte.
Elena/Ellie is married to Lorenzo, the head of the Italian Mafia. He is extremely abusive to Elena. He also forces her to kill people in different crime organizations. She is Bella Morte. He forces her by holding her sister Alesia, Lorenzo, and Leo her son's, safety over her head. She also suffered abuse as a child at the hands of her uncle. Elena receives a call that a late family member she never met left her a house in the middle of nowhere. She uses this opportunity to get her family away from Lorenzo. There is only one problem, this is the same house Frank has been hiding out in for the last decade. They also happen to have been childhood best friends and had mutual feelings for each other. Until Frank disappeared.
I did not see the plot twists coming and enjoyed them!
This had great spice! Some authors write sexy scenes that are in no way cringe and are incredibly hot! Add Brittanee to that list. This also had a fair amount of comedy. Usually centered around the kids and Irish. I loved the boys!
The ending was nice and fluffy, I would have preferred a more gritty revenge. However, I understand why the author went in the direction she did.
5/5 stars
3/5 spice
5/5 narration
Tropes:
2nd Chance Romance
Childhood lovers
Double Agent
Mafia
FBI
Breeding Kink
Single Parent
Forced Proximity
Small Town
Possessive MMC
Strong FMC
"Who hurt you?"
Revenge
Triggers:
Murder
Past Sexual and Physical Abuse (not by MMC)
December 14, 2025
Irish aka İkinci Bahar 🥹
Mafya diye elimize aldık cozy romans çıktı. Frank ile Ellie çocukluk aşkları, hayat onları çok ters yönlere savurmuş olsa da bir evde yolları kesişir ve olaylar gelişir. İki çocuklu Ellie ile Frank’ in aşklarını tekrar yaşama şansı falan filan.. Diğer seriyi okusam belki mantıklı gelirdi ama çoğu yer boştu, manasızdı. Asla şu 2. şans hikayelerinde misunderstanding trope undan falan ayrılmaları anlayamıyorum. Yani hayatının aşkından vazgeçeceksen hapse falan girmiş olman lazım yani o derece 3. taraftan bi yan etki olarak ayrılman lazım. Diğer türlüsü ı-ıh..
Ellie ‘ nin yaşadıkları çok zordu ama madem bu kadar güçlüydün neden senelerce bekledin yavrummmm!!
Ay neyse çok tutmadım bunu da. 😘
Mafya diye elimize aldık cozy romans çıktı. Frank ile Ellie çocukluk aşkları, hayat onları çok ters yönlere savurmuş olsa da bir evde yolları kesişir ve olaylar gelişir. İki çocuklu Ellie ile Frank’ in aşklarını tekrar yaşama şansı falan filan.. Diğer seriyi okusam belki mantıklı gelirdi ama çoğu yer boştu, manasızdı. Asla şu 2. şans hikayelerinde misunderstanding trope undan falan ayrılmaları anlayamıyorum. Yani hayatının aşkından vazgeçeceksen hapse falan girmiş olman lazım yani o derece 3. taraftan bi yan etki olarak ayrılman lazım. Diğer türlüsü ı-ıh..
Ellie ‘ nin yaşadıkları çok zordu ama madem bu kadar güçlüydün neden senelerce bekledin yavrummmm!!
Ay neyse çok tutmadım bunu da. 😘
October 26, 2023
5/5⭐️
3/5🌶️
This was my first read by Brittanée & absolutely will not be my last. I don’t read a whole lot of mafia romances but I truly devoured this one! It was so unique & like nothing I’ve ever read before. I can’t wait to read more of Brittanée’s backlist.
Irish follows Elena & Frank who were childhood friends who lost touch but never really got over their love for each other. Fast forward 30 years & Elena is on the run with her two kids from her abusive husband & finds herself reunited with Frank, who is secretly the “Irish Ghost”, the head of the Irish mafia.
I love a good possessive/protective MMC & Frank definitely fit the bill. That man was so obsessed with Ellie & the way he stepped up & was so good to her kids? Ugh, swoon.
Tropes:
- Mafia Romance
- Childhood Friends to Lovers
- Second Chance
- Single Mom
- Romantic Suspense
- Forced Proximity
- Possessive MMC
- Strong FMC
3/5🌶️
This was my first read by Brittanée & absolutely will not be my last. I don’t read a whole lot of mafia romances but I truly devoured this one! It was so unique & like nothing I’ve ever read before. I can’t wait to read more of Brittanée’s backlist.
Irish follows Elena & Frank who were childhood friends who lost touch but never really got over their love for each other. Fast forward 30 years & Elena is on the run with her two kids from her abusive husband & finds herself reunited with Frank, who is secretly the “Irish Ghost”, the head of the Irish mafia.
I love a good possessive/protective MMC & Frank definitely fit the bill. That man was so obsessed with Ellie & the way he stepped up & was so good to her kids? Ugh, swoon.
Tropes:
- Mafia Romance
- Childhood Friends to Lovers
- Second Chance
- Single Mom
- Romantic Suspense
- Forced Proximity
- Possessive MMC
- Strong FMC
March 3, 2024
bear with me while i try to full encompass my feelings for this book. this 100% should’ve been a DNF. i paid for the audiobook though & everyone loves brittanee nichole & i wanted to know with my full knowledge that she was not for me. let’s get into it.
first of all, im not a huge joe arden fan; i know im in the minority. but the one thing i do appreciate joe for… is his fantastic french & irish accents. the man can do those accents so well. so although partially my bad for not reading blurbs, one would assume that a book named irish about the irish mafia…. the male character would have an irish accent. that was not the case. he had a boston accent that he used half of the time. it was not good & a huge let down. it’s not joes fault, it’s literally how the book was written. who creates a story about the irish mafia.. names it irish… and then gives the character a boston accent. he also uses irish phrases though so it makes zero sense.
ok moving on…
this book is labeled as a stand-alone & unfortunately if you’ve never read this author before…. you will feel completely lost during a lot of this book. approx 10 characters are mentioned in the first 2 chapters.. who are these characters? no idea because i’ve never read her other books. it literally throws you into an already established world and expects you to either know who these people are or just roll with it. i could not roll with it.
the main issues i had were also the fact that things wouldn’t be adding up… it seemed as though there were lots of continuity mistakes made and caught.. but then half ass fixed.
this book is 99.9% telling a story. what i mean by that is… the story doesn’t show us anything. it has tons of information dumps.
there’s a point where the fmc runs from her husband.. and unalives 3 guards.. off page lol. like it’s not even on page. she tells us about it in past tense literally right after it happens. arguably a pivotal plot moment.. cheapened.
don’t even get me started on how unrealistic this was & how many tropes this book included just for the hell of it.
single mom running from DV… who’s also a serial killer.
the mmc who’s the head of the mafia but also a secret fbi agent who’s been hunting a serial killer… the fmc!
that is the most asinine plot i’ve ever heard of.
even if you can get over everything i’ve mentioned. look past the plot holes and the ridiculous plot…. the fmc doesn’t like to be touched & her husband degraded her and she has ptsd from it.. well the mmc degrades her and there was zero convo about her limits on this. absolutely makes zero sense.
if you’re still here, please know that i never 1 star anything lol. i always DNF if it looks like we are headed in this direction but i had to see this through. i could honestly analyze & rip apart more lol but i just need to let it go…
i could name dozens of mafia books that are far more worth your time. this is exactly why authors shouldn’t write genres they are unfamiliar with without doing proper research.
1 ⭐️ 2.5 🌶️
first of all, im not a huge joe arden fan; i know im in the minority. but the one thing i do appreciate joe for… is his fantastic french & irish accents. the man can do those accents so well. so although partially my bad for not reading blurbs, one would assume that a book named irish about the irish mafia…. the male character would have an irish accent. that was not the case. he had a boston accent that he used half of the time. it was not good & a huge let down. it’s not joes fault, it’s literally how the book was written. who creates a story about the irish mafia.. names it irish… and then gives the character a boston accent. he also uses irish phrases though so it makes zero sense.
ok moving on…
this book is labeled as a stand-alone & unfortunately if you’ve never read this author before…. you will feel completely lost during a lot of this book. approx 10 characters are mentioned in the first 2 chapters.. who are these characters? no idea because i’ve never read her other books. it literally throws you into an already established world and expects you to either know who these people are or just roll with it. i could not roll with it.
the main issues i had were also the fact that things wouldn’t be adding up… it seemed as though there were lots of continuity mistakes made and caught.. but then half ass fixed.
this book is 99.9% telling a story. what i mean by that is… the story doesn’t show us anything. it has tons of information dumps.
there’s a point where the fmc runs from her husband.. and unalives 3 guards.. off page lol. like it’s not even on page. she tells us about it in past tense literally right after it happens. arguably a pivotal plot moment.. cheapened.
don’t even get me started on how unrealistic this was & how many tropes this book included just for the hell of it.
single mom running from DV… who’s also a serial killer.
the mmc who’s the head of the mafia but also a secret fbi agent who’s been hunting a serial killer… the fmc!
that is the most asinine plot i’ve ever heard of.
even if you can get over everything i’ve mentioned. look past the plot holes and the ridiculous plot…. the fmc doesn’t like to be touched & her husband degraded her and she has ptsd from it.. well the mmc degrades her and there was zero convo about her limits on this. absolutely makes zero sense.
if you’re still here, please know that i never 1 star anything lol. i always DNF if it looks like we are headed in this direction but i had to see this through. i could honestly analyze & rip apart more lol but i just need to let it go…
i could name dozens of mafia books that are far more worth your time. this is exactly why authors shouldn’t write genres they are unfamiliar with without doing proper research.
1 ⭐️ 2.5 🌶️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2024
3.5 stars! Irish is a small town, romantic suspense, with mafia, childhood friends, a single mom heroine on the run, and cat-and-mouse vibes.
Ellie is wife to the head of the Italian mafia, but trying to find a way out at the beginning of the story. When she gets a call that she inherited a house after the death of an uncle she never heard of, it’s the perfect chance to take off and start new with her two sons. When she gets to Maine she runs into Frank the caretaker of the house, who happens to be her “Irish” that she knew years ago and has been supposedly dead for years. It quickly turns into a bit of a cat and mouse situation with both having their own secrets, while they fall for one another.
I liked seeing his relationship with her sons. Their house is full with her two sons, her sister who fled with her, and his nephew he’s the guardian of. I did have high hopes for this one, and while I liked it, it isn’t a new favorite or anything. Apparently the hero in this one has made appearances in two of the authors previous series, so I don’t know if it would have hit different if I read those first? But I thought this was a standalone. The characters are 40 and 39, but they honestly didn’t feel like it. I will say the heroine is a badass and I loved seeing how strong she is! Audio is narrated by Joe Arden and Maxine Mitchell and was amazing!
I received an audio ALC, all thoughts in this review are my own.
Ellie is wife to the head of the Italian mafia, but trying to find a way out at the beginning of the story. When she gets a call that she inherited a house after the death of an uncle she never heard of, it’s the perfect chance to take off and start new with her two sons. When she gets to Maine she runs into Frank the caretaker of the house, who happens to be her “Irish” that she knew years ago and has been supposedly dead for years. It quickly turns into a bit of a cat and mouse situation with both having their own secrets, while they fall for one another.
I liked seeing his relationship with her sons. Their house is full with her two sons, her sister who fled with her, and his nephew he’s the guardian of. I did have high hopes for this one, and while I liked it, it isn’t a new favorite or anything. Apparently the hero in this one has made appearances in two of the authors previous series, so I don’t know if it would have hit different if I read those first? But I thought this was a standalone. The characters are 40 and 39, but they honestly didn’t feel like it. I will say the heroine is a badass and I loved seeing how strong she is! Audio is narrated by Joe Arden and Maxine Mitchell and was amazing!
I received an audio ALC, all thoughts in this review are my own.
October 14, 2023
I haven’t had the best luck with mafia romances so I wasn’t sure what to expect here. Oftentimes I find them to be a little far fetched and predictable but damn this one was sooo good. It was anything but predictable, there were so many really surprising reveals and I haven’t even gotten to the romance side. Frank and Elena are both broken and have been through so much in their lives and the way they brought comfort and safety to each other was so special. Despite their super complex histories these two are made for each other and seeing them reconnect was everything. Frank’s tender relationship with Elena’s sons was absolutely adorable and seeing two little kids bring this big, tough man to his knees was my undoing. If you like emotional, angsty, and spicy romantic suspense this was excellent!
January 13, 2024
4.5⭐️
I knew I was going to love Franks story and I am so happy he got his HEA.
When Frank reconnects with Ellie again he is determined to do everything in his power to keep her in his life. I loved them together and I absolutely adored Franks relationship with her two sons. Frank was literal perfection and I am obsessed with him.
Tropes:
🖤Mafia
🖤Childhood friends to lovers
🖤Second chance romance
🖤Single mom
🖤Romantic suspense
🖤Forced proximity
The audio was so freakin good, Joe Arden and Maxine Mitchell were amazing. I highly recommend this audio…it’s a must!!!
I knew I was going to love Franks story and I am so happy he got his HEA.
When Frank reconnects with Ellie again he is determined to do everything in his power to keep her in his life. I loved them together and I absolutely adored Franks relationship with her two sons. Frank was literal perfection and I am obsessed with him.
Tropes:
🖤Mafia
🖤Childhood friends to lovers
🖤Second chance romance
🖤Single mom
🖤Romantic suspense
🖤Forced proximity
The audio was so freakin good, Joe Arden and Maxine Mitchell were amazing. I highly recommend this audio…it’s a must!!!
June 10, 2024
*audiobook
a whole mess.
a whole mess.
November 2, 2023
this one got me kickin' and screaming and gigglin'
I WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS RANGE OF EMOTIONS
I WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS RANGE OF EMOTIONS
November 29, 2023
I hit halfway and cannot go further. Dnf.
May 27, 2024
If there is anything an author should do is get Joe Arden to narrate their books because it will get an immediate extra start bump in rating 🤪
Plot/pacing:
Irish-italian mafia meets FBI agent/ criminal trope - what a wild ride this was ! Took me about 10% to get into the book, but Mr. Frank was such a likable character he kept the story going. I enjoyed the plot, and a lot of it was due to the kids too. Felt like the story came together well. I listened to it on audio and I didn't want to pause a lot of the time !
Characters:
MMC - I am not a fan of the Boston accent, so it threw me at times haha - but overall, liked his character, a bit morally grey at times, a little secretive when I didn't think necessary, but added to the story pacing.
MFC- I liked her being the villain here - I really enjoy when the female character is also morally grey - adds such an added layer of character development !
Side characters - Loved the kids, loved the sister. Just their moments kept the story going and added some comic relief and also really touching moments.
Romance/Spice:
It was a decent 3/5 pepper spicy rating. The romance done well - second chance romance, HS lovers. Done well, written great. But idk if I could totally forgive Frank!
Overall: Decent audiobook - it would be a 3 if I read it, but Joe Arden and his audio narration just made it 20x more enjoyable, so 3.5 stars it is !
Plot/pacing:
Irish-italian mafia meets FBI agent/ criminal trope - what a wild ride this was ! Took me about 10% to get into the book, but Mr. Frank was such a likable character he kept the story going. I enjoyed the plot, and a lot of it was due to the kids too. Felt like the story came together well. I listened to it on audio and I didn't want to pause a lot of the time !
Characters:
MMC - I am not a fan of the Boston accent, so it threw me at times haha - but overall, liked his character, a bit morally grey at times, a little secretive when I didn't think necessary, but added to the story pacing.
MFC- I liked her being the villain here - I really enjoy when the female character is also morally grey - adds such an added layer of character development !
Side characters - Loved the kids, loved the sister. Just their moments kept the story going and added some comic relief and also really touching moments.
Romance/Spice:
It was a decent 3/5 pepper spicy rating. The romance done well - second chance romance, HS lovers. Done well, written great. But idk if I could totally forgive Frank!
Overall: Decent audiobook - it would be a 3 if I read it, but Joe Arden and his audio narration just made it 20x more enjoyable, so 3.5 stars it is !
March 31, 2024
I love Frank and Ellie!!!
I knew I would love this. I don't know what Britanee puts in her books, but once i start, I can not stop!!
This was so beautiful, and I was so happy to see Frank get his HEA and omg the way he loves Ellie 😭. Ellie is such a strong person and takes so much, and her story broke my heart. I just love her so much
Yes, Brittanee broke my heart and put it back together again.
Audio Review:
I read this when it first relased and as I was reading it in I har certain voices in my head for the characters and then the cast was announced and it was the voices I heard.
Ellie is a badass FMC so who better to play her than Maxine Mitchell who is exactly that. She played Ellie so perfectly portraying her anger and her protectiveness as a mother! She also made me cry when Ellie was vulnerable and hurt. Just pure perfection!!!! Also Maxine accent as Ruth was 👏
Joe Arden as Frank was everything I needed and with a Boston accent 😏 his voices for Lo & Leo were so adorable and the scene with them and Frank had me crying it was so beautiful.
I love Ellie & Frank together so much and the love they have for each other was everything and so beautiful.
Men written by Brittanee Nicole are pure perfection and one of my favourites.
I knew I would love this. I don't know what Britanee puts in her books, but once i start, I can not stop!!
This was so beautiful, and I was so happy to see Frank get his HEA and omg the way he loves Ellie 😭. Ellie is such a strong person and takes so much, and her story broke my heart. I just love her so much
Yes, Brittanee broke my heart and put it back together again.
Audio Review:
I read this when it first relased and as I was reading it in I har certain voices in my head for the characters and then the cast was announced and it was the voices I heard.
Ellie is a badass FMC so who better to play her than Maxine Mitchell who is exactly that. She played Ellie so perfectly portraying her anger and her protectiveness as a mother! She also made me cry when Ellie was vulnerable and hurt. Just pure perfection!!!! Also Maxine accent as Ruth was 👏
Joe Arden as Frank was everything I needed and with a Boston accent 😏 his voices for Lo & Leo were so adorable and the scene with them and Frank had me crying it was so beautiful.
I love Ellie & Frank together so much and the love they have for each other was everything and so beautiful.
Men written by Brittanee Nicole are pure perfection and one of my favourites.
March 13, 2024
**Audio Re-read 1/12**
5 stars still remains.
☘️ Mafia romance
💚 Small town
☘️ Single Mom
💚 Who hurt you?!
☘️ Friends to strangers to lovers
💚 Forced Proximity
☘️ Stabby FMC
💚 Mafia + Mob
☘️ Romantic suspense
💚 Spicy
☘️ Dual pov
💚 Doggies 🐶!
💕 Frank + Ellie 💕
It's official romantic suspense is my niche. My obsession. My favorite. I ate this up! One minute I thought I knew where this was headed then the next there's a twist and I'm 😱.
Frank. Oh dear Frank, how I love the. The scenes with him and Ellie's boys 🥹. He immediately loved them so hard, and gives them more love than any man has before. See this big tough Irish mobster brought to his knees by the boys melted me.
LOVED this and if you are a fan of mafia romance or romantic suspense you HAVE to get to this one!
⚠️ Check triggers ⚠️ Domestic violence and more in this one.
Thank you to @authorbrittaneenicole and @theauthor.agency for this ARC 🫶.
5 stars still remains.
☘️ Mafia romance
💚 Small town
☘️ Single Mom
💚 Who hurt you?!
☘️ Friends to strangers to lovers
💚 Forced Proximity
☘️ Stabby FMC
💚 Mafia + Mob
☘️ Romantic suspense
💚 Spicy
☘️ Dual pov
💚 Doggies 🐶!
💕 Frank + Ellie 💕
It's official romantic suspense is my niche. My obsession. My favorite. I ate this up! One minute I thought I knew where this was headed then the next there's a twist and I'm 😱.
Frank. Oh dear Frank, how I love the. The scenes with him and Ellie's boys 🥹. He immediately loved them so hard, and gives them more love than any man has before. See this big tough Irish mobster brought to his knees by the boys melted me.
LOVED this and if you are a fan of mafia romance or romantic suspense you HAVE to get to this one!
⚠️ Check triggers ⚠️ Domestic violence and more in this one.
Thank you to @authorbrittaneenicole and @theauthor.agency for this ARC 🫶.
January 24, 2024
🎧🎧AUDIO REVIEW🎧🎧
#Sidebar before I chat about Irish … It took me longer than I care for to wrap myself around this story and really begin to absorb and enjoy it. I was utterly lost when the story began, so much so that I had to stop and go investigate if I was reading a book inside a series or if it was a second book of a duet or something because they were speaking of too many circumstances without any details or explanations which just had me going ”huh?” too many times. What I found out was in the blurb (lol), “Author’s Note: … features fan favorite Frank McCabe from Whiskey Lies and the Boston Billionaire Series.”
All this is to just let anyone reading this, that if you are new to Brittanee Nicole’s work, like me, you might want to begin with the stories mentioned in the Author’s Note above.
This is just an opinion of mine. Do with it what you will :)
PERFORMANCE REVIEW & RATING: 5 STARS
I HEART both Joe Arden and Maxine Mitchell to the moon and back! I mean I have had some tiny issues here and there with some of Joe’s narrations, but never Maxine’s and this narration was absolutely 👏👏👏round of applause👏👏👏 worthy! Well done!
STORY REVIEW & RATING: 4 STARS
Even though I had issues getting into this story, as I have already mentioned, it was still a really well thought out plot that unfolded really well. I’m a mafia romance junkie and this story ranks as one of the best I’ve read, or in this case listened to, in quite some time.
The story held my attention, once I got over the hiccup, because the suspense of it all just kept coming. Something was happening in this story at every turn, so you really have to pay attention and this author made me want to pay attention with her style of writing. I was engaged and invested in the outcome, and I was rooting for the MCs from the start. If that’s not a sign of a great story, I don’t know what is!
I cannot wait to start the Boston Billionaires series ASAP!
ALC provided by The Author Agency for an honest review
#Sidebar before I chat about Irish … It took me longer than I care for to wrap myself around this story and really begin to absorb and enjoy it. I was utterly lost when the story began, so much so that I had to stop and go investigate if I was reading a book inside a series or if it was a second book of a duet or something because they were speaking of too many circumstances without any details or explanations which just had me going ”huh?” too many times. What I found out was in the blurb (lol), “Author’s Note: … features fan favorite Frank McCabe from Whiskey Lies and the Boston Billionaire Series.”
All this is to just let anyone reading this, that if you are new to Brittanee Nicole’s work, like me, you might want to begin with the stories mentioned in the Author’s Note above.
This is just an opinion of mine. Do with it what you will :)
PERFORMANCE REVIEW & RATING: 5 STARS
I HEART both Joe Arden and Maxine Mitchell to the moon and back! I mean I have had some tiny issues here and there with some of Joe’s narrations, but never Maxine’s and this narration was absolutely 👏👏👏round of applause👏👏👏 worthy! Well done!
STORY REVIEW & RATING: 4 STARS
Even though I had issues getting into this story, as I have already mentioned, it was still a really well thought out plot that unfolded really well. I’m a mafia romance junkie and this story ranks as one of the best I’ve read, or in this case listened to, in quite some time.
The story held my attention, once I got over the hiccup, because the suspense of it all just kept coming. Something was happening in this story at every turn, so you really have to pay attention and this author made me want to pay attention with her style of writing. I was engaged and invested in the outcome, and I was rooting for the MCs from the start. If that’s not a sign of a great story, I don’t know what is!
I cannot wait to start the Boston Billionaires series ASAP!
ALC provided by The Author Agency for an honest review
January 7, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
The swoon, the soul crushing angst and longing were so incredibly beautiful…and that spice, whew! I loved these characters and their story, and the narrators were absolutely amazing! I will update this review.
🌶️🌶️🌶️
The swoon, the soul crushing angst and longing were so incredibly beautiful…and that spice, whew! I loved these characters and their story, and the narrators were absolutely amazing! I will update this review.
August 6, 2024
This was a ride that’s for sure. 🥹
I loved Irish so much, and seeing her break out of her shell and fit back in with him.
I loved Irish so much, and seeing her break out of her shell and fit back in with him.
October 9, 2023
This is the first book I've read by Brittanee and I'm a fan!
- forced proximity
- childhood friends/second chance
- single mom
- possessive MMC
The plot in this book was so unique and I really enjoyed this romantic suspense! Frank was literal perfection and I am obsessed with him! The way he was with Ellie's kids was also so precious and I loved how protective Frank was of them.
- forced proximity
- childhood friends/second chance
- single mom
- possessive MMC
The plot in this book was so unique and I really enjoyed this romantic suspense! Frank was literal perfection and I am obsessed with him! The way he was with Ellie's kids was also so precious and I loved how protective Frank was of them.
January 6, 2024
Well I'm not crying you are crying 😭🫶
I seriously absolutely loved this audiobook and this story!
I seriously absolutely loved this audiobook and this story!
October 17, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Adult • Romance
🍀mafia romance
🍀childhood friends to strangers to lovers
🍀forbidden love
🍀close proximity
🍀single mom
🍀runaway MC
🍀morally gray FMC
🍀hurt her and ☠️
🍀romantic suspense
“That’s how I feel about Ellie’s arrival. Like she’s shining a light on the shadow I’ve been living in for so long.”
So, imagine this. Me walking down the road of figuring out the twists all confidently, thinking I got it. Flipping my hair, smirk in place, believing I’m so smart. Then bam, boom, bang. I get h!t in the face, tripped unexpectedly and I have my mouth fall open as I stare at *the* big twist closer to the end. Because d*mn I missed all the clues and didn’t see *that* coming.
I even got all mad and upset. Jess, you sweet summer child. Serves you right 🤨
“Her sadness makes me want to rip myself open and present her with my heart.”
Irish was unputdownable, addictive, and just dark enough to keep by black soul swooning. Irish, the character, was the cherry on top of a brilliant story with a dash of serial unliver for all my Dexter fans 😎
“It’s always been her.”
And Ellie was no ordinary FMC. She might be just as fierce as some but you haven’t encountered a FMC with these many layers before, I can guarantee you that.
“It’s the hope in the word yet that keeps us all going. The idea that one day we’ll have everything.”
I was looking for a fun mafia romance.
I got one of the best in the genre. I win 😎
Adult • Romance
🍀mafia romance
🍀childhood friends to strangers to lovers
🍀forbidden love
🍀close proximity
🍀single mom
🍀runaway MC
🍀morally gray FMC
🍀hurt her and ☠️
🍀romantic suspense
“That’s how I feel about Ellie’s arrival. Like she’s shining a light on the shadow I’ve been living in for so long.”
So, imagine this. Me walking down the road of figuring out the twists all confidently, thinking I got it. Flipping my hair, smirk in place, believing I’m so smart. Then bam, boom, bang. I get h!t in the face, tripped unexpectedly and I have my mouth fall open as I stare at *the* big twist closer to the end. Because d*mn I missed all the clues and didn’t see *that* coming.
I even got all mad and upset. Jess, you sweet summer child. Serves you right 🤨
“Her sadness makes me want to rip myself open and present her with my heart.”
Irish was unputdownable, addictive, and just dark enough to keep by black soul swooning. Irish, the character, was the cherry on top of a brilliant story with a dash of serial unliver for all my Dexter fans 😎
“It’s always been her.”
And Ellie was no ordinary FMC. She might be just as fierce as some but you haven’t encountered a FMC with these many layers before, I can guarantee you that.
“It’s the hope in the word yet that keeps us all going. The idea that one day we’ll have everything.”
I was looking for a fun mafia romance.
I got one of the best in the genre. I win 😎
December 14, 2023
eyes glazed over staring into the abyss...
hands trembling, held to my fluttering heart...
i whisper - "I'm going to need a hot minute"
clearing throat - shaking head to clear the mind and try to pull my soul back into my body...
Brittanee Nicole where have you been hiding all this time?
In this moment - just this moment - while I am able to string a few words together I'm going to type my ramblings about the love I feel this story.
But. Before I proceed - I have to add that I DO NOT particularly like Mafia novels. I have tried - really tried - to get into this trope. But every.single.time it has left me stone cold. I find them too far fetched. Even for me with all the fantasy worlds I find myself in while swiping or flipping pages. It's just not a kink that gets me going (and I have many kinks).
Ok proceeding
I am in love with this book.
I am in love with Ellie and Irish's love story.
I am in love with Irish's deliciously filthy mouth.
I am in love with Ellie's strength and her resilience.
I am in love with the fact that Brittanee's words caught me in a whirlwind then slapped my face as I gasped when I thought I knew where the plot was going - ha.. right?
I DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING. the joke is on me.
I am in love with the fact that if I ever read a mafia related trope again that it would only be words typed out by Brittanee Nicole.
now please - go and read this damn book!
hands trembling, held to my fluttering heart...
i whisper - "I'm going to need a hot minute"
clearing throat - shaking head to clear the mind and try to pull my soul back into my body...
Brittanee Nicole where have you been hiding all this time?
In this moment - just this moment - while I am able to string a few words together I'm going to type my ramblings about the love I feel this story.
But. Before I proceed - I have to add that I DO NOT particularly like Mafia novels. I have tried - really tried - to get into this trope. But every.single.time it has left me stone cold. I find them too far fetched. Even for me with all the fantasy worlds I find myself in while swiping or flipping pages. It's just not a kink that gets me going (and I have many kinks).
Ok proceeding
I am in love with this book.
I am in love with Ellie and Irish's love story.
I am in love with Irish's deliciously filthy mouth.
I am in love with Ellie's strength and her resilience.
I am in love with the fact that Brittanee's words caught me in a whirlwind then slapped my face as I gasped when I thought I knew where the plot was going - ha.. right?
I DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING. the joke is on me.
I am in love with the fact that if I ever read a mafia related trope again that it would only be words typed out by Brittanee Nicole.
now please - go and read this damn book!
December 17, 2023
im starting this review before i’ve even finished the book 🤩🤩
It’s amazing, the perfect balance between dark mafia and fluffy romance
the attention to detail is just *chef’s kisses* 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼
like when the MCs finally get together, the name of the FMC pov changes from her formal name to her nickname, ik it ain’t much but those kind of things make a book awesome 🥹❤️🩹
it has illustrations… i did not expect frank to look like that… my imagination is better🤕
it was a really nice book in all, a lil too much in the monologue department but it was fine
It’s amazing, the perfect balance between dark mafia and fluffy romance
the attention to detail is just *chef’s kisses* 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼
like when the MCs finally get together, the name of the FMC pov changes from her formal name to her nickname, ik it ain’t much but those kind of things make a book awesome 🥹❤️🩹
it has illustrations… i did not expect frank to look like that… my imagination is better🤕
it was a really nice book in all, a lil too much in the monologue department but it was fine
October 7, 2023
THIS WAS SO GOOD. We have single mom, mafia vibes, second chance romance. She though he was dead. I really enjoyed their dinamics, she´s so strong for everything she had to do to keep her family alive and well. Her sons are the best, and the relationship between them and Frank was one of my favourite parts of the book, the way that he wanted them to like him was so good.
Thanks to The Author Agency and Brittanee Nicole for the Arc.
Thanks to The Author Agency and Brittanee Nicole for the Arc.
January 8, 2024
i loved this so much! such a good angsty friends to lovers romance. I need to read more of her books for sure.
January 25, 2024
This was a beautiful and heartwarming story, but the audiobook wow, Joe Arden made this book perfect. I’m not sure i would have loved it as much without the audiobook.
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