Ring of Truth

Astoria Royals #4

by Deborah Garland

She escaped her ex, broke, and pregnant.
Only to be abducted by his identical twin brother...

Darragh:
I left the Irish Mob behind years ago.
Cut ties. Built a quiet life for my daughter.
One without bloodshed or betrayal.

Then my twin resurfaced.
Jailed. Reckless. And tangled up with a woman no one could identify.

Except I did.

She’s Bratva royalty. Missing. Pregnant.
And now tied to my family by blood.
If the Russians find out what my twin did, they’ll come for all of us.

So I did what I had to.
I paid her bail.
I brought her home.
And I locked her down as my nanny.

She’s under my roof now.
Carrying a child that could ignite a war.

I tell myself it’s a strategy.
Protect my daughter. Shield my heart.
But when I see her laughing with my little girl,
the ice around my heart starts to melt.

Now I want things I shouldn’t.

She thinks I’m the good twin.
I’m just the one who knows how to hide the monster better.

*Ring of Truth first appeared in Merciless Desires (45k) but has been significantly edited to include bonus scenes to the original version, additional chapters, and a satisfying, heart-stopping ending.

Grab the entire series:
Sinful Vows - Now an Origin Story and Quinlan Empire Crossover
Savage King
Sleeping with the Enemy
Deal with the Devil
Ring of Truth

*Follow Deborah For Updates, Sales, and New Release Alerts*

Genres: Dark Romance, Mafia Romance, Forced Proximity, Enemies To Lovers, Audiobook, Romance, He Falls First

310 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 23, 2024

About the author

Deborah Garland is a top 45 Amazon Bestselling and a 4x Award-Winning author of emotional, funny, and steamy romances!

She loves pugs, Friday night Cosmos, and that feeling when she publishes a new romance novel.

She lives on the beautiful North Shore of Long Island and in the summer, she escapes to Maine with her very patient husband.

She eats cheap mac and cheese with expensive red wine, her heroes are ALWAYS over six feet tall, and they fall hard, HARD for the girl.

Visit her website --> https://www.deborahgarlandauthor.com/... to join her newsletter and browse her little love stories.

New Releases are always featured, but all books can be read as standalones. Don’t be afraid to jump in. The water’s fine 😊

Reviews

[♡︎ Kesa Subban ♡︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ꍏꋪꏳ ꋪꏂ꒦ꀤꏂꅐ
𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨 - Darragh
𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐞 - Ana
4.5 Ring Of Truth 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬
𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐎𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝘙𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘖𝘧 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘉𝘺 𝘋𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘩 𝘎𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥

Holy shit, my heart when I read the first few chapters in that anthology and we got left with that cliffhanger.

Ana, absolutely did not like the position her father had put her in ..he may have been powerful and feared but when the time came, she got out, regardless of his power...and she didn't look back. But she never realised the way her life would go.

Dar, he and his twin didn't want to be part of the mafia life. They wanted out. Dar, worked hard and he is a successful doctor, but his brother on the other hand took a turn for the worse, covering up for his brother is basically what he did...but that changed, when he recognised the missing russian princess, pregnant with his brothers baby(and his...I mean when he says his baby, it's just 🔥🫠)

Dar and Ana find themselves in a fix, she doesn't want to go back to Astoria and he can't let her leave because she's carrying his baby.

These two have an instant connection, the chemistry and spicy scenes...hell 🔥🥵

The love between Dar and Sophie ♥️ and Ana's love for Dar daughter...loved it💗

....the danger that surrounds them, intense!

....this was going to be an easy 5 star for me, but I wanted more development with Ana character, I felt like she should have made better decisions in the begining...and she was to quick to judge!

𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬

Cormac, after everything I still wanna hit him...but he kinda redeemed himself. And yes i hope he gets his own book 🙈

Lachlan...this man🔥😍!! He is my favourite in this series... handsdown!!! I just waited for his appearance in this book.

Eoghan...well I'm eagerly awaiting to see what problems this O’Rourke is going to cause!!!

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨 🩺🏥🩺🏥🩺
𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐞 💋💋💋💋
𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 🔥🔥🔥🔥
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 🥵🌶️🥵🌶️🥵
𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭 📚📚📚📚.5
𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 💧💧

[Dominique F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. I read book 1 and really enjoyed that one. I love me some weird tropes and age gaps.

Really liked how Ana got along w his daughter well and was a voice of reason for certain things and explanations.

This one was amazing too and had such a great story line.

I’m going back and reading the book before this one w Katys and Lachlan now lol.

I like that you can bouncy around.

Defn a page turner.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5⭐️

———arc review———

Omg this was so cuteeee, but hot at the same time. The way Dar treats Ana with the upmost respect just gets me every time! Ugh, I love them so so much along with Dar’s daughter. His daughter is literally the cutest ever!

I haven’t read many stories like this one and I need to find more because I finished this so quickly and loved every second of it.

[Irene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ring of Truth by Deborah Garland (Astoria Royals, #5)

⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.75

As the Bratva Princess, Anastasia (Stasia) Koslov has a birthed right to marry into another mafia family. Her father’s dealings with the Italians and Irish have forced her hand into a family that will violate the small dignity Stasia has left. Thus, Stasia plans to flee, and she successfully does. However, one year later, she finds herself in almost a worse position—impregnated, charged with drug possession and trapped by Cormac O’Rourke. The sequence of events to Stasia’s unfortunate downfall is articulated in quick succession. Deborah Garland portrays the unexpected turnaround of Stasia’s life in a cohesive way, nevertheless, I did desire for more emotion and clarity in her experience with Cormac. How she was trapped with the youngest twin is a cause of blackmail, but with the same leverage against him also, I questioned the reality of her entrapment.

As Stasia and Cormac both face the judge at their initial bail hearing, Darragh O’Rourke enters the building showing no mercy to his twin brother but finds the Bratva Princess’ situation one he needs to save her from. Henceforth, ‘Ring of Truth’ follows Stasia and Darragh through their home life. As the latter attempts to dissolve future conflict from having the missing Bratva Princess in his possession, Stasia cannot help but be enamoured by the twin brother of a man whom she has nothing but hate for. Correspondingly, despite Stasia being impregnated by Cormac, Darragh weirdly finds her womb to be his own. With the same DNA, he is unable to escape his possessive control to ensure the safety of Stasia and the baby. At no point is this articulated in an endearing way, instead infiltrated with an odd obsession that deterred me from enjoying his character.

As the novel progresses, the general narrative is an overall hatred for Cormac and a fast paced love story between Darragh and Ana (aka. Stasia — she changes her name after leaving home). Firstly, whilst Cormac’s actions are not justifiable at all, Ana also had a significant part to play and it seems deflected throughout the whole book. The O’Rourke’s seem fully intent to prosecute Cormac’s gambling and criminal behaviour with no grace given. Secondly, Darragh and Ana’s relationship lacked integrity. There was a significant lack of description on how their attraction and desire for one another was created. Instead, one second the two have a pure dislike, and the next they are making out and proclaiming professions of love.

Ultimately, the novel reflected more of a stream of conscious, rather than a well-thought out sequence of events. Whilst it was successful in creating plot developments in the Astoria world, there was no effort placed in its contemporary components of a love story, building a home around the two and respective character developments. Moreover, I found the pen of the author difficult to read and digest. With numerous names and hierarchies thrown around, mentions of prior novels and reminders on what had occurred in the Astoria world would have aided in its coherency. The reliance on stereotypical, cringy lines by characters were further mitigating factors to the success of the novel. I truly desired for more maturity in this instalment, however, it fell short.

PS. Darragh’s daughter is strangely the saving grace in this novel. I found her dialogue not stereotypical, but adorable in the midst of obsessive behaviour and immature inner monologues.

[Alexandria Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨BOOK TOUR✨
📖: Ring of Truth
🖋️: @deborahgarlandauthor
⭐️: 5 of 5
🌶️: 5 of 5
💬: “We’re having a baby. Have I not made that clear?”

Tropes & Themes:
✨Mafia Romance
✨Single Father / Forced Nanny
✨Twin brother’s ex
✨Enemies to lovers

“You will marry him and that is it, Anastasia.”

Now that Anastasia is twenty-one. Keeping some of his promises to her mother. Her father has arranged for her to be married.

“If you leave, you can never come back.”

To escape the clutches of her father. Ana runs off to live a life on her terms where she ends up being a prisoner again.

“I’ll never hurt you. I promise. But we need to leave right now.”

Darragh, like the loyal twin he is goes to save the day for his brother, Cormac. What he isn’t inspecting is to find himself saving a runaway Bratva princess.

Will Ana be safe from Cormac? Can Darragh convince Ana to stay with him and build a life together?

With danger lurking all around and her father still searching for her. Will Ana ever truly be free?

Find out in the Ring of Truth!

Every time I see a new book by Deborah, I just have to read it!🔥 Another amazing book added to my shelf!

I loved the instant connection between Dar and Ana. The love Ana shows his daughter is beautiful. Two people who want nothing to do with the mafia life find themselves saving each other.

“But her last name is O’Rourke, so she’ll be protected by me. Always.”

Lachlan! I loved his parts in this book! He has become my favorite man of the series!

Thank you Deborah for the gifted book! I’m so happy I got to enjoy another book by you. Also The Author Agency for this tour! As always, my review is my opinion and thoughts.

[Alyssa's BookShelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Affinity Star read!!!!!! 💫
Loved this book!!!!
And I also enjoyed reading it too.
It is one of my favorites for the year!!!!
I Loved the romance between Ana & Darragh!!!
This was a spicy read too.
I loved his daughter Sophie and I loved how he protected her and Ana and also the baby also well.
And also Darragh delivered Ana and his twin brother's baby
I didn't like Katya and Ana's father Alexei because how he was mean to them and tried to arranged their marriages but I can understand how Ana left and didn't want to married the guy her dad picked out.
I loved that we got some more of Ana's sister Katya and her husband Lachlan and I also liked that Ana had her baby and Katya is going to have a baby too.
I liked how Darragh's brothers and their wives help each other and protect each other as well.
I loved that both sisters married brothers.
And loved how Ana protected Sophie and her baby and loved them too.
I didn't like Cormac and what he did to Ana and their son but I am glad he helped protect Darragh and his family and also get help too for himself but with his brothers help.
I am glad they got an happy ending together.
I couldn't put this book down. It is well written and has a great amount of steamy.
I recommed this book if you like A Single Dad/Pregnant Nanny Mafia Romance.
And I can't wait to read the rest of this series.

[✨Crystal✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ALC provided by The Author Agency for an honest review✨

Ring of Truth is drama filled book full of angst, yearning, and finding your true love and family with a mafia twist! One thing I love about Deborah Garland books is that they all are connected in some way. Each book always has a ruthless dirty talking Irishman (a Quinlan or O’Roark) who becomes a complete cinnamon roll for their lady, but also has a good plot to enjoy!

This book centers around the twin O’Roark brothers who couldn’t be more different from each other. When Ana runs away from her mafia family after being set up for an arranged marriage, she flees to Vegas and runs into Carmac O’Roark. After having nowhere else to hide, she agrees to stay with him for a while. But things change when Carmac turns to gambling and drugs, knocks her up, and basically keeps her as his prisoner. After being arrested, Carmac’s twin brother Darough flies to Vegas to post his bail, but discovers he’s been hiding a huge secret that involves the missing now pregnant mafia princess everyone’s been looking for! Darough then decides that Ana will stay under his care until the baby is born, and pose as his live in nanny for his little girl until they figure out what else to do. But can they fight the forbidden feelings they are starting to develop for each other? 👀

I absolutely loved the family dynamic between Darough, Ana, and his sweet little girl. Darough had been alone for so long raising his child without a mother, and Ana was exactly what they needed. And Ana always having to live for her families needs was able to be the person she’s never been allowed to be. I also love the big O’Roark family and how they will drop everything and rush to the rescue if called.

The audiobook was duet narrated, but it also had a full cast! I absolutely loved hearing all the other narrators reprise their rolls from the other books. It made this family aspect of the story feel even more complete ❤️ I definitely recommend checking this one out and the rest of this series as well ❤️

[Jocelyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

✩°｡⋆⸜ 🎧✮ Audiobook Review! ✩°｡⋆⸜ 🎧✮
This is the fifth book in the Astoria Royals series, an Irish mafia romance. I love this series! Darragh and Anastasia’s story is engaging and compelling, blending instant attraction with a slow-burn romance and plenty of twists and turns. Darragh is enigmatic, handsome, and supportive. Anastasia si strong, and caring. The cast of supporting characters is impressive. The incredible full cast narration brings the characters and story vividly to life. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Danielle Beckham · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is just something about the mafia stories that get me. This is book 5 of the Astoria Royals series, and I’ve listened to them out of order lol. But it’s ok because the stories are so entertaining, and that is what I look for in a good book!! Now let’s talk narrators because HOLY WOW! This book has an all star line up with Gregory Salinas as Darragh, Lexi Evans as Ana who both did an absolutely fantastic job. Throw in Tyler Griffin, Logan Anare, Troy Duran, Aaron Shedlock, JF Harding and special guest Teddy Hamilton, phew! Seriously, again that line up! It’s a great action packed, mafia romance. And I totally recommend it!

[Srish · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review

Awesome book! Awesome characters! Awesome storylines! I loved every second of it. Tbh, I loved Lachlan so so much!

[Amie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazingly written story with outstanding characters is also a great page turner. This story has action, intrigue, thrills and a steamy spicy romance with a happily ever ending.
A story about a Bratva princess who runs away from home due to her father the Pakhan setting up an arranged marriage for her even though he promised her mother who died that he wouldn’t do that to her. The princess got help from an Italian underboss who gave her a new identity as well as some money, he also got her a plane ticket to Las Vegas. The Italian underboss was wanting her to give him oral sex to give her more money. When she leaves her half sister helps her make it look like she was kidnapped.
One the plane she met some girls who were going to bachelorette party in Las Vegas and she went with them around to the casinos but lost them when she went to a store in one of the casinos where she was going to go to get postcards to send her half sister to tell her that she was okay that is when she met a couple that was traveling that said would help her get the postcards to her sister. When meets a man from her childhood, she finds out that the money was stolen so she went with the man from her childhood.
During the two and a half years she has been with the man she knew during her childhood. The man from her childhood got her hooked on drugs, had her help him scam and cheat people and got her pregnant, he imprisoned her. The princess ran but the man ran after her and they got into an accident and they were both arrested.
A doctor, the twin of the man that’s in Las Vegas is called by a man who he has been watching his twin. The doctor is told about his twin being arrested and he goes to Las Vegas to bail his twin out. The doctor leaves his daughter with her nanny who tries to throw herself on him but he doesn’t want her. When he gets to Las Vegas he goes to the courthouse, he finds out about the princess, their eyes meet and he bails her out instead of his twin. The doctor takes the princess to get some of her things before going to the plane and heading to Seattle where he lives.
When they get there there is a commotion and he winds up firing his nanny.
The woman finds a guestroom and gets cleaned up since when she was with the doctor’s twin they had nothing and she was dirty. The doctor decides he’s going to take to get checked out as well as the baby even though when she was arrested they did an ultrasound and told her that everything was okay. The doctor was worried about the princess being around his daughter but after the princess saves his daughter after having an allergic reaction to nuts he starts to change his mind. The doctor thinks that she will have a boy and after going to the doctor he finds out that he was correct. She only has a month left before she has her baby. The doctor tells her that the baby is his as well since his twin is the father and they have the exact DNA as one another then the baby is his as well.
The two get closer together and soon they start kissing and having sex. They start having strong feelings for one another. The princess also wants to be close to the doctor’s daughter and she also decides that she wants her son when he’s born.
It’s not that long before she will give birth, the princess and the doctor have been going to childbirth classes as well as getting closer but the twin shows up in her bedroom in the early hours of the morning. The two talk and she tries to get away from him and that’s when the doctor comes in. The twin goes out by the window when he leaves. The twin was supposed to be in a forced rehab facility.
It’s not that long before her water breaks and she has her son. The doctor had left the hospital and was at home looking for the princess. He got the call about her and he called the neighbor where his daughter was asking if she could watch her. The doctor got to the hospital before her doctor could get there so he delivered the son. They name the son after the doctor’s grandfather. The doctor puts his name as the baby’s father on the birth certificate.
They go home and the doctor takes time off to help the princess. They have told one another that they love each other and they’re talking about getting married. It’s Thanksgiving and the couple is in the nursery when the daughter calls out from the first floor about vehicles parking close and the couple looks out the window and the princess thinks it’s Bratva. The doctor calls out to his daughter and he has the daughter, the princess and the son go to the safe room.
The doctor stays behind, he goes to get some weapons and calls his brothers telling them what’s going on. They tell him that one of the brothers will be there in three hours. The doctor goes to get a full diaper bag from the nursery before going down stairs checking everything out. The doctor finds out that the food her had brought had nuts in it so he starts throwing away the food, when he goes to take it out a big guy hits him and is about to shoot him when the big guy kills over dead, his twin stands in front of him after that. They run to the stairs when the doctor gets shot in the arm.
In the safe room the daughter starts asking the princess questions about her father and her. The princess tells her the truth about everything that she figures that she can tell her. The princess puts down blankets on the floor and puts the baby son down before taking out some folding chairs for them to sit on. The daughter is acting strange so the princess starts helping the daughter and tries to figure out what was wrong with her. The princess decides she’s going to go out of the safe room to find out what happened to the doctor but the daughter doesn’t want her to but she knows that she has to go.
The princess opens the door and finds the doctor and the twin in front of the door. The men comes into the safe room and the twin starts cleaning and fixing the doctor’s wound. They start talking and they wait a couple more hours until the brother comes.
The brother gets there with the rest of the brothers and his wife, the half sister of the princess. The sisters talk and the doctor tries to keep his daughter upstairs so she won’t see the blood downstairs. The brother gets help to get the house cleaned up and one of the brother’s wives helps the daughter pack some clothes to take with her. The couple goes downstairs for a meeting with the brothers and they decide what they need to do.
They get on a plane to go home and another brother gets dropped off with the twin in Las Vegas. The brother who is the head of the family’s Irish mob decides that the twin needs to go to Ireland for his punishment. While on the plane one of the brothers gets an elicense to sign before the couple gets married, the princess signed the elicense as well.
They get to New York to one of the brother’s homes and they eat Thanksgiving dinner. The next day they get married. The couple is looking for a place to call home and the doctor knows that soon he will have to go and sell his place in Seattle. They soon go to see The Russian Pakhan who is her father. At first the Parkan is upset with them but soon he calms and he even gets to hold his grandson. The princess doesn’t want to be a princess, she offers her father that she will become his underboss and most of the men agree in the room that she should become the underboss. The men wind up leaving and the Pakhan and his princess talk before she leaves to find her husband and their son.
It’s been six weeks and the brother that she’s sparring with talks to her about her husband. When she gets home she talks to the daughter and later they eat dinner and later the kids have their baths before going to bed. The couple is in the bed about ready to have sex when the doctor’s phone rings. It’s the guy from Las Vegas that helped with his twin and the princess. The guy informs him that his brother is in trouble with the Italian mob there because of a woman.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[spicy_book_nook · Rating 2 out of 5]

kind of slow but picks up

Thoughts: it was slow going at first but picks up. Seemed like a love triangle, almost.

Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Plot: 👩🏻‍💻📑📑
Burn: 🔥
Darkness: 🖤🖤
Red Flags: 🚩🚩🚩
Kinks: 🫦🫦
Heat: 🌶️🌶️
Range of Emotions: 😳🥵🙂
Ending: 👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻 {HEA}
POV: 👫🏻 {Dual}

***spoilers - whole story***
Ana runs away from her Bratva arranged marriage with a cruel man. She makes it to Vegas and runs into Cormac, one of the O’Rouke brothers (Irish mob). Cormac is wild and gets into selling droogs and has debts. He keeps Ana locked up and she finally manages to escape only to get in an accident and both arrested, she is also 7/8 months pregnant. Cormac’s twin brother, Darragh comes to save the day. He sees Ana and instantly falls. He bails her out and takes her with him. He realizes she is the missing Bratva princess her father is scouring the earth for. He also wants to claim her baby as his. Being they are identical twins, they have the same DNA and a test can’t differentiate. People come for Ana and the O’Rouke brothers come to rescue them and bring the to NY.
Ana faces her father and demands to be his underboss, as her son will be his heir.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven’t been eagerly awaiting the audiobook version of author Deborah Garland’s Irish Mafia Romance why not? The story is riveting, and the audiobook – there are no words. If, like me, you are a longtime diehard fan of Garland’s, you’ve already read everything written in the Astoria Royals, Astoria Royals Standalones and Quinlan Empire series. (And if you haven’t, get started.) Ring of Truth comes before Reckless Obsession and Shattered Veil, but this is the first time Ring of Truth has been performed as an audiobook. And all of the narrators for the other books have made return appearances! Yes, all of them: Gregory Salinas as Darragh, Lexi Evans as Ana and all the other women, Tyler Griffin as Kieran, Jett and Blade, Logan Anare as Riordan, Troy Duran as Lachlan, Aaron Shedlock as Eoghan, JF Harding as Balor, and Teddy Hamilton as Cormac. Garland could not have assembled a better, more talented cast to bring this story to life. It’s like old home week with the Irish Mafia. If any audiobook is a must listen, this is it.

Darragh O’Rourke is the good twin; Cormac is the bad. Both doctors, both handsome – and that’s where the resemblance ends. Both Darragh and Cormac left the mob years ago and were practicing doctors in Seattle, far away from Astoria and the family business. I know, no one ever really “leaves” the Mafia but as long as there was no trouble they would still receive their monthly allotment. Soon, however, Cormac headed down a different path and lost his position at the hospital. Darragh felt responsible for his twin and tried to hide it from the rest of the family, managing Cormac’s finances and trying to rein him in. Whatever success he thought he had was false because Darragh has just learned his brother has been arrested with a woman in Las Vegas; he’s been cheating in the casinos, scamming tourists and was attempting to leave town with drugs in his car. This sounds like more than something Darragh can fix without the family finding out this time and it’s only going to get worse.

The woman with Cormac is several months pregnant. And the woman is Anastasia Koslov, a Russian mob princess, daughter of the Astoria Bratva Pakhan Alexi Koslov. About two years ago to get away from her father and an arranged marriage to a violently cruel man she faked her own kidnapping and ended up in Vegas, penniless, on the run, terrified. There was Cormac, someone she knew and thought would be safe. An answer to her prayer. More like the beginning of a long, unimaginable nightmare. Cormac’s a thief, a grifter, a drug user, a cruel man who keeps her prisoner in their hovel of a room. While she is expecting his baby, which he plans to immediately drop off at a firehouse. When she finally feels courageous enough to attempt to leave in his car, he catches up with her and they are arrested. Just when she thought her life couldn’t get any worse.

Darragh comes to Vegas to try and straighten things out, but when he sees Ana from the old days something in him changes. Instead of bailing Cormac out he leaves Cormac to his fate and takes Ana home with him, still planning on handling this himself. That’s not really going to work, since Ana keeps trying to escape and threatening to call Darragh’s brother Eoghan. Darragh’s life has been focused on raising his 7-year-old daughter Sophie and healing, rather than harming. He still has family ties but he does not participate and he does not want to involve them in this. But neither does Ana want to bring harm to Darragh and his little girl. This is going to be so complicated. There is something between Darragh and Ana, something unexpected, undeniable and irresistible, and something that most definitely cannot happen. Darragh, however, is determined to raise that child, insisting it’s “his” already because as twins he and Cormac have identical DNA. Weird but true, and he’s not kidding.

Complicated is an understatement. Sophia and Ana bond instantly, Darragh and Ana resist and resist and resist until they can’t, Ana’s father of course finds out the kidnapping was fake, rivals are on the move to actually kidnap Ana and/or do her harm, Cormac makes an unexpected, dangerous appearance and regular Irish Mafia business continues with all the plotting and intrigue. There is no keeping the family in the dark about what is happening in Seattle anymore.

Ring of Truth moves at breakneck speed, keeping you in suspense with worry and fear. Will harm come to Ana? Who is after her? Would her father rather see her dead after all? What about Sophie? Will she be caught in the crossfire? Ana is the closest thing to a mother she has ever had, and Darragh feels like he could be truly happy. But how can it be? Threats from all sides, the family will not back off, and Sophia – and his unborn son – must be his priority. Alongside the worry and fear is hope, and a warm feeling about this little family. And some seriously sexy moments that will make your heart go pitter-patter. But this little family cannot stay in Seattle and be protected, and Darragh is discovering he has more O’Rourke in him than he thought. Seems he has the potential to be ruthless, violent and deadly when people he loves are threatened after all.

Author Garland does her usual talented job of balancing the romantic with the vicious, the happy with the frightening, and the hopeful with the inevitable. You will not be able to turn away, and when you start listening to all these voices, you will not be able to press pause. I know I couldn’t. It is another in a long line of Garland’s always excellent stories. The best plots, the best characters – and the best voices. I received an advance copy of the audiobook version of Ring of Truth. Zipped right through, and cannot wait for Cormac’s story, both written and spoken, hopefully with Teddy Hamilton reprising his role. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

[Cigi cini · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎙️AUDIO REVIEW 🎙️

🖤 Mafia Romance
👶 Pregnancy
🛟 Protective Hero
🏡 Forced Proximity
🧸 Nanny Trope
👨‍👧 Single Dad
🔥 Slow Burn
💔 Trauma & Healing
👑 Bratva Princess
⚠️ Family Secrets
🛡️ Touch Her and Die
❤️ Found Family
🔐 Hidden Identity

Star: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Narrators: Lexi Evans | Tyler Griffin | Logan Anare | Tory Duran | Aaron Shedlock | JF Harding & Gregory Salinas

Ring of Truth brings the Astoria Royals series to a tense and emotionally satisfying close, blending mafia danger with a deeply personal love story that feels earned after everything these characters have endured. Deborah Garland leans into the high stakes from the very first pages and never really lets the reader breathe, but what makes this book stand out is how much heart sits beneath the violence and politics.

Mila’s situation is already devastating before the story truly begins. She escaped an abusive relationship with nothing, pregnant and alone, only to end up pulled into another nightmare when she’s abducted by the wrong man. Yet she never comes across as weak. She is exhausted, frightened, and grieving the life she thought she would have, but she keeps moving forward because she has no other choice. Her strength is quiet and practical. Her focus is survival and protecting her unborn child, and that grounding makes every emotional moment feel real rather than dramatic for the sake of drama.

Darragh is the emotional anchor of the story. He has spent years distancing himself from the Irish mob and building a safe life for his daughter, determined that she would never grow up in the violence he knew. When his twin brother’s actions drag him back into that world, he steps in not because he wants power but because he feels responsible for the consequences. Paying Mila’s bail and bringing her into his home under the pretense of being his daughter’s nanny is both protective and morally complicated, and Garland does a great job showing how aware Darragh is of that line he is walking.

What makes their relationship work is the slow change in trust. At first Mila has every reason to fear him. She is surrounded by men tied to crime and secrets, and Darragh’s guarded personality does not help. But his tenderness with his daughter becomes the turning point. Watching him as a father shows her who he truly is long before he ever allows himself to admit his feelings. The domestic scenes between the three of them are some of the strongest in the book. The quiet dinners, small conversations, and moments of laughter feel just as important as the looming threat of the Bratva because they show what is actually at stake.

The romance itself is a slow burn filled with tension. Darragh constantly fights his attraction because he believes wanting Mila makes him selfish and dangerous to her. Mila struggles with guilt and fear, unsure whether she can trust another man with her safety and her child’s future. When they finally begin to open up, the emotional payoff lands well. Their connection grows from protection to partnership, and it feels less like instant passion and more like two people carefully choosing each other despite the risks.

The mafia conflict remains present throughout the story, but it never overshadows the characters. The looming possibility of retaliation from the Russians adds urgency, especially because Mila’s identity carries serious consequences. Instead of endless action scenes, the tension builds through anticipation and difficult decisions. Darragh is forced to confront the parts of himself he tried to bury, and the question becomes whether he can protect his new family without becoming the man he once was.

As a series finale, the book does a nice job tying emotional threads together. There is closure not only for Darragh and Mila but also for the family dynamics that have been shaping the series. The focus ultimately comes back to chosen family, redemption, and the idea that a safe home is something you fight for, not something you are simply given.

Ring of Truth balances danger with tenderness and gives readers a protective hero, a resilient heroine, and a romance built on healing rather than possession. It delivers the suspense expected from a mafia romance while still ending on a hopeful and satisfying note for the Astoria Royals.

[Eleanor Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

💍 Secrets. Lies.
And a Love That Refuses to Break. 💔🔥

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Audiobook Review ALC 🎧
RING OF TRUTH by Deborah Garland
Narrated in Duet with a full cast
Lexi Evans, Tyler Griffin, Logan Anare, Troy Duran, Aaron Shedlock, J.F. Harding and Gregory Salinas as Darragh O’Rourke
With special guest Teddy Hamilton

🩺
Ring of Truth by Deborah Garland is another emotional, tension-filled masterpiece that kept me completely hooked from the first chapter to the last— and the audiobook experience made it even that more powerful.

This story delivers layered emotion, simmering chemistry, and the kind of secrets that threaten to unravel everything.

She’s Bratva royalty. Missing. Pregnant.

〰️💜〰️🖤〰️💜〰️

The Hero
Darragh a Doctor with Irish mafia ties is Strong, controlled, and determined to protect what matters most. Beneath his steady exterior is a man wrestling with truth, loyalty, and feelings he can’t ignore. His emotional restraint makes the vulnerable moments hit even harder.

The Heroine
Anya the lost Bratva Princess. Is Intelligent, compassionate, and far stronger than she realizes. She’s caught between trust and doubt, trying to follow her heart while navigating revelations that could change everything. Watching her growth and resilience unfold was deeply satisfying.

Their connection is intense — built on attraction, challenged by secrets, and strengthened through emotional honesty. The push and pull between them creates that addictive slow-burn tension that makes you NEED to keep listening.


✨She escaped her ex, broke, and pregnant.
Only to be abducted by his identical twin brother...✨



🎧 BUT LISTENNNNNN

Let’s just say that It’s The dual narration that elevates this Audiobook every single moment.
    •  Gregory Salinas brings depth, warmth, and controlled intensity to the hero’s perspective, making his internal conflict feel raw and naturally authentic.
    •    Meanwhile sweet soft spoken Lexi Evans captures the heroine’s emotional strength and vulnerability beautifully, especially in the moments when trust is tested.

The other narrators mentioned?.. OMG.. did these guys brought the heat…? Yes. Yes They did, they spun this story to epic perfection with their fantastic performances, weaving a tale that will have you cracking up with Troy Duran humor as Lachlan to Teddy Hamilton as Carmagh the unruly twin brother of Darragh, to Aaron Shedlock, Logan Anare, and JF Harding to Tyler Griffin as they assembled like the freaking Avengers making this story even more immersive and memorable.

All Together, they add an immersive layer that makes the angst sharper, the fear more palpable and the emotional danger more intense.. and the romantic scenes?…even more swoon-worthy.


💜She thinks I’m the good twin.
I’m just the one who knows how to hide the monster better.💜


💍 VIBES AND THEMES
    •    💜Secrets & hidden truths
    •    💞 Emotional slow burn
    •    🛡️ Protective hero
    •    🔥 Intense chemistry
    •    🖤Love tested by trust
    •    ✨ Healing and second chances at happiness.
💜Twin Switch
🤰Pregnancy Adjacent Trope
💜Age Gap (32/25)
🧍Single Father
💜He Falls First
💛No Third Act Breakup
💜NOT a Love Triangle
💛All-Star Finale
💜End of Series ARC

This audiobook balances heartfelt emotion with romantic tension in a way that feels genuine and earned. If you love romance filled with secrets, emotional stakes, and a couple who have to fight for their truth — Ring of Truth is absolutely worth the listen.


A Shout out to TAA and you my bestie for reading my review, ramblings and recommendations.
Until next time my lovely
One Love 💕 One book at a time

〰️🦋𝒢ℯℴ𝓇ℊ𝒾ℴ𝓊𝓈🦋〰️

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. A snippet on either IG/TT immediately sold me - Mafia- check! Pregnancy Trope-check! Single Dad- check! Ex's brother- check! FULL CAST DUET AUDIO - SAY LESS!

Anastacia (Stacia/Ana) is a Bratva princess who's to be married off by her father shortly after her 21st birthday, unwilling to be used as a pawn, she runs away-though stages it to look as though she's been kidnapped- to Las Vegas (weird choice IMO) hoping to keep a low profile until she figures out the next part of the plan. After being pick-pocketed she happens to run into Cormac O'Rourke (a member of the Irish Mob in her home of Astoria) who she latches onto almost immediately. Cut to 2 1/2 years later, Ana, is heavily pregnant and being arrested after Cormac caused a car accident.

Darragh, Cormac's identical twin brother, is notified of his arrest by one of their older brothers, and drops everything to help out his twin one final time. (Both Darragh and Cormac are pediatric surgeons- and had mostly escaped their family's mob life style up to the point of their separate introductions). Arriving at the courthouse, he also immediately recognizes Anastacia and pays her bail, and forces her to go to his home in Seattle until they figure out what to do with her.

What I didn't like:
Within hours, both Ana and Darragh become obsessed with one another, and by their 3rd day together have sex. Darragh is possessive of Ana and her baby, as it also is genetically his baby, and within a week is already talking about them getting married.

Insta-love is usually very hit or miss for me, and a lot of it has to do with a)character interactions with each other and b)the believability of these two people being "in love" after knowing each other for a matter of days.

I know this started as a short(er) story as the current addition is being sold as the "extended version" but, there was so much still missing, so much plot that needed developing, Darragh and Ana needed to grow together, needed to learn about the other's flaws (besides the fact that they are both Mafia, and let's be honest, that is really the only flaw they can find in the other) So much of this book takes place in a time period of only 2 weeks! TWO. WEEKS. If you're going to use an accelerated timeline, then the character/plot development needs to be on point, and it just missing the mark. There were so many other characters (namely the O'Rourke family) and if they hadn't been named I wouldn't've been able to tell one from the other.

The prose, at times, felt very repetitive, and almost stream-of-consciousness like. I don't need character a to recap what we already "saw" through character b's eyes if they aren't going to add anymore information/context, especially when the scene just ended.

What I did like:
Ana and Darragh's interactions with Sophie (who was an absolute delight), Darragh's loyalty to his family, but putting Ana and Sophie above all else.
The spice was fine, though I longed for more of it.

The saving grace for me was the narration. Gregory Salinas and Lexie Evans were fantastic. There was also a full cast of male narrators (with special guest Teddy Hamilton) but we got so little of them I'm not sure it was the best use of a full cast.

I'm not trying to be super negative, but there was so much potential for a great book, and it just failed to hit the mark over and over.

Tropes:
Mafia
Russian Bratva Princess x Irish Mob Prince
Ex's Twin Brother
Pregnant FMC
Secret Identity
Single dad x nanny (kinda)
Insta-Love

[Bette · Rating 5 out of 5]

More Astoria Royals Greatness! Amazing Story & Listen🎧
Ring of Truth
Astoria Royals, Book 5
By: Deborah Garland
Narrated by: Lexi Evans, Tyler Griffin Logan Anare, Troy Duran, Aaron Shedlock, JF Harding, Gregory Salinas as Darragh O’Rourke with special guest Teddy Hamilton

Deborah Garland pens another exciting novel, a romance novel set in her intriguing mafia world, that grabs your attention immediately and holds it hostage the entire time. Anastasia’s father was making a power move arranging her marriage, but she did not want a loveless Bratva marriage, so she ran away. Only to run into Cormac O’Rourke, whose family runs the Astoria Royals, another mob family in New York, the Irish mob. She was down on her luck in Vegas, but he wasn’t so he took her under his wing until all their luck ran out and it all went to heII. Darragh, Cormac’s identical twin, comes to his rescue once again in Vegas, but recognizes Anastasia, who went missing two years ago, according to her father, forcefully taken from their home, and he has not stopped looking for her since. Darragh knows his brother has been spiraling, but he is in deep now, and being with Anastasia who is pregnant is not only trouble for Cormac, but for the entire O’Rourke family, so instead of bailing Cormac out, he bails her out and takes her back home to Seattle. Going by the name Ana, she just wants to be free of it all, wants her trust fund and to move on, but Darragh wants to keep her baby, which she won’t have. Feeling trapped and like she traded one prison for another, but soon learns Darragh is nothing like Cormac. It was great watching these get to know each other, build trust and a relationship, one that morphs into something so much more. She was great with his daughter, and the two quickly formed a bond. They made a plan to make things right, but before that the bubble they were living in burst and once again all heII breaks loose once again. Darragh tried to stay out of the family business, but he needs them now and they all come to his rescue, and I could not have been more thrilled to see them and some of the Quinlan's too. I loved all the layers of this story and how it all plays out, with the perfect balance of drama, angst, thrilling and suspenseful moments, action, heartfelt emotions, and steamy romance. As always, Garland’s writing, plot, and world-building are incredible, and it made my day to see that Cormac is getting his own book too. Deborah Garland, thank you for another amazing story and the wild, emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧 Wow, Deborah Garland cast amazing talent to bring her characters to life, delivering an exceptional multi-cast performance in duet. Gregory Salinas, Lexi Evans and Teddy Hamilton covered the roles of the three lead characters, Darragh, Ana and Cormac, while Tyler Griffin, Logan Anare, Troy Duran, Aaron Shedlock, and JF Harding jump in reprising their roles from earlier books and covering different characters. All are amazing at what they do, embodying their characters completely, grasping every aspect of their personality while giving each a voice that is fitting, accents and all. Garland knows her characters and knows her narrators, always going with the ones she knows will do right by her creations, and that is exactly what this cast did and then some, impressively so. These entertaining storytellers are a pleasure to listen to, and their captivating performance not only rivets you to the story, but it takes the story to another level.

[LeMiliere · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review is written voluntarily after listening to the audio version of this book.

I have eagerly followed each member of the Astoria Royals as they have found their perfect woman, although the first book I listened to in this series, Sinful Vows, was an Astoria Royals Origin Story and Quinlan Empire Crossover, where we met Ewan and Darcy when he went to Ireland to bring Darcy back to Astoria to marry Kieran O’Rourke the head of the Irish Mob. This book tells Darragh's story. He and his identical twin, Cormac, are the youngest of the O’Rourke siblings. He's a successful pediatric surgeon living in Seattle, and he's a single father to Sophie, an adorable seven-year-old. His wife left him three years ago. He and Cormac are both doctors who managed to escape the family business.

At the start of this book, Anastasia, the Bratva Princess, is informed by her father that a marriage has been arranged for her, and to escape this unwanted marriage, Anastasia, aka Ana, runs away to Las Vegas, making it look like she's been kidnapped. In a casino in Vegas, she is reacquainted with the charming and handsome Cormac O’Rourke.

Three years later she and Cormac's situation has greatly changed. Cormac is no longer the happy-go-lucky man she met; he's become abusive, hard, and addicted to drugs, and Ana is eight months pregnant and his virtual prisoner. When they are both arrested, Darragh receives a call telling him his brother is in trouble. Leaving his daughter in the care of her nanny, he flies to Vegas to help Cormac, but, upon discovering what his brother has become and seeing Ana's condition, he decides to save Ana and leave Cormac where he is.

I fell a little in love with Darragh; he's a genuinely good man, despite being born into a morally grey world. He’s steady, protective, and devoted to his family, especially Shopie. He's a hero who doesn’t need violence to feel powerful, and I loved how he would do anything for those he loves. Ana is a strong character who has been through a lot, but her goodness and resilience make them perfect for each other. Their dynamic feels intimate; their journey is a slow-building, emotional roller-coaster ride that I didn't want to get off.

Their story has a completely different dynamic from the earlier books in this series, but is no less enjoyable for that. Instead of the expected power-play chaos, Deborah Garland gave us two people burdened by their pasts, trying to protect the peace they’ve found together. Their attraction was instant, their chemistry is palpable, and their connection grows more each day. It’s all about trust, safety, and the unexpected tenderness that forms between two people who never thought they’d find it, rather than about danger, although they face that too!

Darragh and Ana’s story isn’t a typical mafia romance, yes, there is action, yes, there is danger, and yes, the Mafia and the Bratva are part of their story, but theirs is a love story built on trust and genuine liking for each other and a desire to spend the rest of their lives together.

The narration of this book is perfect. The cast of Gregory Salinas, Lexi Evans, Teddy Hamilton, Troy Duran, Aaron Shedlock, J.F. Harding, Tyler Griffin, and Logan Anare was simply no way this story wasn’t going to be exceptional. Each narrator brings the different characters to life, highlighting their distinct personalities, making the entire experience deeply moving and compulsive listening.

I am so looking forward to listening to the next story in this series, which I think will be Owen's story

[Bethie_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌟3.75

🛑 Look at the author's trigger warning!!!

‼️ While this book could be read as a standalone, this is book 5 of the Astoria Royals series.

𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪:
I escaped my abusive ex-boyfriend with the clothes on my back and a baby in my belly only to be taken prisoner by his identical twin brother.
Anastasia:
Faced with a loveless Bratva marriage, I run off to live on my own terms for once in my life. Two years later, I’m pregnant, abused, and swept away by my boyfriend’s cold and calculating identical twin brother. The Irish Mob son of a rival family. Forced to live in his mansion and nanny his daughter, I do everything possible to contact the outside world.
But from his first touch, holding me during a breakdown sparks fly between us. After months of feeling nothing, my hormones wake up. I’ve fallen for the good twin, but is he?
Darragh:
The last thing I need in my life is a runaway Bratva princess, who’s not only pregnant but a victim of my twin brother’s poor decisions. I walked away from my family’s organized criminal ways, I’m raising my daughter alone, and I dedicated my life to saving lives, not ending them. One life-changing call and one look at my brother’s pregnant girlfriend, I’m hooked like I have a breeding kink I never knew about. I love her curves, and that swollen belly fits perfectly in my hands.
I’ll claim her and the baby, starting with visiting her room every night to ease both our aches of loneliness. But when my house is surrounded by armed men threatening to take her away from me, the bloodlust lying dormant in my veins wakes up with a vengeance. Ana is mine, even if keeping her means officially swearing an oath to the Irish Mob…

𝕄𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
First off, thank you to The Author Agency for an ARC. I was super excited to read about more O'Rourke brothers!❤️

In my opinion, the book was lackluster compared to the other books in the series. I was super excited to find out what happened to the "Stasia" we heard about in previous books. When we meet her in the present day, I was disappointed in her personality and actions of what brought her to the point she is at when we meet her. The entire book felt slightly anticlimactic, especially compared to the previous books about the other brothers.

I did love the pregnancy and slight breeding trope. Those are some of my favorite tropes, and I loved how the author used them. I also loved Darragh's possessiveness of Ana and her baby. Talk about swoony when he insists that the baby is biologically his!🫠🥵😍

I love this family, and I'm so so very excited to read Eoghan's book. That teaser was not enough! The book I'm most excited for is Balor's book. I just know that the nerdy brother will have a special someone eating out of the palm of his hand!😏

[Sonja Charters · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started this book, I panicked because it's actually book 4 of the Astoria Royals series and I believe it's the first I've read.

However, within the first few chapters, I came to recognise lots of the character names and situations because we were back with the O'Rourke family, which I've come across before in many of this author's books that I've read.

 

I've tried to find out and work out the connections between all of the many books in all the different series this author has written - and I'm actually not much wiser having read the titles, names and connections between them.

 

So, I'm just going to say that this book can easily be read as a standalone read and even though I recognised lots of returning characters names, the details in this story give us plenty of background to work with and enjoy the whole plotline - even if you haven't read any of the other books yet.

 

We're dealing with rival mafia style families all trying to prove that they are the ones in charge and having seen the more brutal side of mafia reads, this was really quite refreshing as our main characters have both stepped away from that side of things in the hope to escape their family expectations in favour of living a more normal life.

 

Things hadn't gone as expected when Ana ran away from her Bratva family and now she's mixed up with the Irish mafia and pregnant with an O'Rourke baby on the way.

 

I loved how crazy this started out with the complications between the brothers and poor Ana stuck in the same situation she was running from.

But with Darragh also trying to step back to keep his daughter safe, this pair had a lot in common and that, along with the undeniable chemistry, made for a great read.

 

This was packed with action right from the start and I thought the plotline steering away from the darkness of the mafia families worked really well - whilst also giving us those heart-pounding dangerous moments still, towards the end.

 

I just love this author's writing style and can't help getting sucked into the books right from the start.

This one had me hooked to the end and I devoured it over just 2 sittings.

 

I really need to get to grips with the reading order because I know that I have to read more about these brilliant characters and families soon!

[BRI · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the hot , forbidden, and suspenseful nature of this book it will have you begging for more!
What to Expect:
🖤Mafia Romance
❤️Single Father/Forced Nanny
🖤Twin Brothers Ex
🤰🏻Pregnancy Adjacent Trope
❤️No Third Act Breakup
My Advanced Copy Review (5/5 ⭐️, 3.5/5 🌶️)
Darragh is a single father to a daughter named Sophie in Seattle. After receiving a call that his twin brother Cormac has been arrested on multiple charges Darragh hops on a jet to Las Vegas to get him out of the mess he created. What Darragh doesn’t expect to see is the bratva princess Anastasia Koslov who was “kidnapped” and missing for the past two years arrested along side Cormac and heavily pregnant with his baby. Darragh immediately acknowledges the need to take care of this baby as his own (since he shares DNA/blood with Cormac) and takes Anastasia with him back home to Seattle where she can give birth. They both think this will be an easy feat expect that once they both locked eyes they both felt an immense pull/attraction to each other. Anastasia feels something for Darragh, he’s the opposite of his mean, abusive, drug-addicted twin so why shouldn’t she fall for him? Tension between them run high and they finally give in to their pull together. Being together is something Darragh wants and Anastasia is cautious towards. Clinging to the only man who treats her like a queen and the daughter she’s grown so fond of, she decides to go all in with Darragh. But what happens when they outside world finds out who she is and that she’s carrying the next Russian Bratva heir? Will her father come looking for her and her child? Will the Irish mob aide her in facing her father? You’ll definitely want to read this one! The suspense, hotness of these two, the forbidden and craziness of it all it’s too good!
Thank you to Deborah Garland for the opportunity in receiving an advanced copy for this release, I had read it before as the anthology but with the few changes and extend version made this book so much better!

[Danielle Graves · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the most part, Ring of Truth is a sweeter read than some of the others in the Astoria Royals series. Darragh is portrayed as a good guy, having left the family behind to raise his daughter Sophie alone. This image is amplified by him being an identical twin. His twin Cormac bumped into Stasia, or Ana, as she is now known, when she had run away from home to avoid a forced arranged marriage and needed help. Initially, they were happy, and things went well for them, but Cormac soon turned and became unrecognisable, doing some pretty disgusting things such as keeping Ana captive, abusing her, getting her hooked on drugs, and getting her pregnant. After nearly killing her in a car accident, they are both arrested, and that's when Darragh steps in to be a white knight and the hero that Ana never knew she needed.

What follows is a close proximity relationship where initially both try to fight their feelings, but Darragh is majorly attracted to not only Ana as a person but the fact that she is heavily pregnant too. There is a lot of focus on the fact that, with him and Cormac being identical twins, that makes the baby biologically his too. Ana is slightly confused by her attraction to Darragh, as he looks so much like Cormac but is so different too. The thing that finally seals the deal for them both is the way Ana instantly cares for Darragh's daughter, Sophie. There are some beautiful moments when she steps up for her, and it becomes clear what kind of person Ana is, and that's a good person, despite everything she has been through.

There were some fabulous twists, turns, and developments to the story as we learned about how the O'Rourke family has grown and developed back home since Ana, the Bratva princess, ran away and faked a kidnapping. To get their happy ending, Darragh and Ana are going to have to deal with danger and their pasts head-on, resubmerging themselves in the lives they've worked so hard to escape. Making for a thrilling and exciting read full of drama, darkness, desire, and some hot, spicy times too.

[MNHockeymomreads (Heather) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently found Deborah Garland’s mafia books and quickly binged everything I could get my hands on. So when this series was coming in audio I knew that I needed to take a listen! I found myself staying in my car and sitting listening to the book vs. multitasking. This book pulled me in from the start. I loved how Anastasia did not sit back and allow her father to marry her off to someone. She took matters into her own hands. It was most definitely not an easy journey and things were really rough for her while but she persevered.
Single father Darragh is just going through the motions. While he wanted a life outside of the mafia he is lonely and misses his family. It is obvious that his relationship and connection with his twin has weighed on him especially as Cormac seems to spiral. Darragh and Ana’s meet cute so to speak is pretty amazing, and I loved the push pull of their relationship and their almost instant connection. Their relationship might have had a fast burn but they had an obvious pull to one another, and their chemistry is off the chart! I love how they literally cannot keep their hands off one another. To say the narration was top tier is an understatement! Lexi Evans did a phenomenal job really bringing Ana’s character to life and expressing her emotions. Gregory Salinas as Darragh…oh my goodness the inflection in his voice, the deep gruff voice was perfect for Darragh but also the sweetness in which he talks to his daughter was perfection! At times duet narration can sometimes distract me but in this case it was amazing- I loved how it felt like we were right there with the characters. And the added narration for the siblings- amazing and add in the Irish lilt I was SOLD! While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, the audiobook really brought it to the next level for me! If you love dark romance with some tender moments this book definitely should be on your TBR!

[Read With Momma Shark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is messy in the way I like.

Darragh O’Rourke thinks he left the mob life behind. Quiet job. Little girl. No drama. Then his twin Cormac blows everything up and Anastasia “Ana” Koslov lands in his world, pregnant and in danger. And because this family cannot do anything normally, she ends up under his roof as his daughter Sophie’s nanny.

Forced proximity. Single dad. Twin brother’s ex. Pregnant heroine. The tension is built in.
Darragh is the controlled twin. The “I have a plan” twin. The problem is his plan keeps colliding with his feelings. Watching him try to stay strategic while clearly softening toward Ana and his daughter was the sweet spot for me. He falls first. He just pretends he doesn’t.

Ana is stronger than people give her credit for. She’s been manipulated most of her life and you can feel her trying to stand on her own two feet. I wanted a little more emotional digging in a few scenes, but I liked her resilience and the way she connects with Sophie. That dynamic carried weight.

There’s constant underlying danger without the story tipping into chaos. The fact that she’s carrying Cormac’s baby never lets you forget how complicated this situation is. It adds tension without feeling like shock value.

Now the audio.
This was done in duet style and it makes a difference. Gregory Salinas as Darragh brings that grounded, controlled intensity. Lexi Evans, Tyler Griffin, Logan Anare, Troy Duran, Aaron Shedlock, and JF Harding round out the cast, with special guest Teddy Hamilton. The family scenes especially felt bigger and more immersive in audio.

Overall this hit that protective, morally gray, complicated family romance lane. Not perfect, but engaging and layered enough to keep me invested.

Thank you to Deborah Garland and The Author Agency for the audio.

[Lil Bit Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

From page one, my heart hurt for the FMC. Ana was being arranged in marriage with someone she didn’t love or care for by her father. It was a marriage of convenience to help both families in their business dealings and gain power over the Italian and Irish mafias. Desperate and feeling as if she has no choice, she runs away and makes it appear as a kidnapping. In Las Vegas, she then runs into someone from her childhood. Only he is not the young boy she once knew, but a grown man instead. A handsome and rich man willing to help her. Unfortunately, his inner demons win out, he treats her poorly, and two years later, she is pregnant and being held against her will. After a car accident, they are arrested and his older brother comes to the rescue. At this point, we meet his twin brother, Darragh. All of this happens within the first few chapters of this novel, and the action does not slow down. I was on the edge of my seat almost the whole time I read, wondering what would happen next.
If you like a story that includes tropes of the mafia, twins, single dad, nanny, and touch her and die vibes; this story is for you. It is number four of the Astoria Royals series. I have not read the others in this series and was still able to follow along with the story. I do have plans to read all the others.
I listened to the audio version of this novel. The voice actor cast consisted of the following talent: Lexi Evans, Gregory Salinas, Teddy Hamilton, Logan Anare, Tyler Griffin, Aaron Shedlock, Troy Duran, and JF Harding. Each person was cast perfectly in their roles in the story. There is a point towards the end of the story where Teddy Hamilton, who voices Cormac, gave me literal chills with how unhinged he sounded.
I would rate this story at a 5 out of 5 stars for plot and 5 out of 5 stars for spice. I recommend this novel for mature audiences only due to violence, sexual content, and mature themes.
I received this ACL in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 4/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

"Ring of Truth" by Deborah Garland is an absolute gem that blends the allure of a Mafia Romance with heartwarming twists. Brace yourself for a thrilling journey because this book is a rollercoaster of hot, forbidden, and suspenseful moments that will leave you craving more!

What to Expect:
🖤 Mafia Romance
🖤 Single Father/Forced Nanny
🖤 Twin Brothers Ex
🖤 Pregnancy Trope
🖤 No Third Act Breakup

My ARC Review:
Darragh, a single father in Seattle, embarks on a riveting adventure when he rushes to Las Vegas to bail out his trouble-bound twin brother, Cormac. Little does he anticipate that he'll find Anastasia Koslov, the bratva princess, arrested alongside Cormac and carrying his baby. Darragh, recognizing the familial connection, takes Anastasia under his wing, back to Seattle for her to give birth.

Their story unfolds with a magnetic pull and an attraction that's impossible to ignore. Anastasia, drawn to Darragh's kindness and stark contrast to his twin's dark traits, finds herself falling for him. The tension between them sizzles until they can no longer resist, and their connection ignites into something passionate.

As they navigate the complexities of their relationship, the suspense heightens. Will the world discover Anastasia's true identity and her connection to the Russian Bratva? Will her father intervene, and will the Irish mob stand by her side? The twists and turns keep you hooked from start to finish.

Deborah Garland has woven a tale that seamlessly blends suspense, passion, and forbidden love. Many thanks to Deborah Garland for the opportunity to dive into this enchanting world once again. If you want a book that delivers on suspense, steaminess, and sheer craziness, Ring of Truth is the one to pick up!

[Alyx Reese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ring of Truth by Deborah Garland is a new to me author. I was thoroughly enjoyed Garland’s book. Ana is a Bratva princess, raised to cement an alliance her father chooses. When she realizes he’s marrying her off to a violent man she flees in the middle of the night with nothing, making it look like she was kidnapped. Ana runs into Cormac O’Rourke, part of the Irish mob, in Las Vegas. Initially Cormac is charismatic and helpful. A little over two years later that has all changed, Cormac is drowning in drugs, booze and drug dealing, Ana finds herself trapped and pregnant. When Cormac gets them arrested, his twin brother Darragh comes to bail him out. But when he sees Ana, he immediately knows who she is and the danger she represents to his brother and their family, that she’s eight months pregnant with Cormac’s child, well that just complicates everything.

The first couple of chapters Garland does a great job world building so the reader knows all the players and the background of what’s happened before. All the while giving insight into the two main characters, Darragh and Ana. The book is full of drama and suspense, it kept me up reading till the last page. I loved Ana’s chemistry with Darragh, neither of them are truly willing to trust, but they also can’t deny how attracted to each other they are. Their relationship isn’t the only one, the ones between the rest of the O’Rourke’s brings a level of fun and humor, well and murder and mayhem but that is to be expected. This is a mafia romance novel.

All in all I was very impressed with Garland’s plot, at first I thought it was moving a little slow, but the pacing was perfect. Enough suspense, spicy times, sassy Ana & sexy Darragh, as well as bad guys and betrayal to keep me intrigued.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ring of Truth (Extended Version)
Astoria Royals, Book 5
By: Deborah Garland
Narrated by: Lexi Evans, Gregory Salinas, Teddy Hamilton, Logan Anare, Tyler Griffin, Aaron Shedlock, Troy Duran, J.F. Harding

Well this was unexpected. Darough has done his best to stay out of his family's business. A doctor who finds himself always cleaning up his twin brother Cormac's mess. This time Cormac has landed in jail with his very pregnant girlfriend. When Darough sees who it is and the condition she is in, he bails her out and takes her home. Anna ran away from family when an arranged marriage with a mafia lord would have been her future. Cormac seemed a good solution for her, and no one knew where she was. Now with Darough though, where would she land? Would he keep her secret? To her surprise, the chemistry with him is strong, the love for his daughter unbreakable and the desire for him to claim the baby, it looked like they were on to a happily ever after. But mafia life is never that easy. Deborah Garland is a master at suspense, and she brings a whole lot of action, and unexpected allies. I loved this. The budding love, the mothering feel Anna had, the family loyalty no matter the situation and the danger that mafia life brings. It's a fabulous listen.

Lexi Evans and Gregory Salinas are the main character narrators and they created a chemistry that is undeniable. Emotional, protective, and passionate these two could not have been a better choice. Add in Teddy Hamilton, Logan Anare, Tyler Griffin, Aaron Shedlock, Troy Duran and J.F. Harding with them reprising previous characters in the Astoria series giving that feeling of family as they come to the rescue. All their voices made this a fantastic treat for my ears and I loved every minute.

[CrysTellsReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ring of Truth by Deborah Garland is my first experience with this author—and it definitely won’t be my last.

I went into this audiobook not realizing it’s Book 4 in the Astoria Royals series, which caused a brief moment of panic. Thankfully, the story is easy to follow even without having read the previous books. While longtime series readers will likely get more depth from certain relationships and history, I never felt completely lost.

This is a messy, high-stakes mafia romance in the best way.

Darragh O’Rourke believes he’s left the mob life behind, focusing on a quieter existence as a single father. That peace is shattered when his twin brother’s actions bring Anastasia “Ana” Koslov into his life—pregnant, on the run, and in serious danger. Ana isn’t a damsel; she ran from her father’s control and is doing everything she can to protect her baby, even when it puts her in impossible situations.

What really worked for me was Darragh’s character. Knowing the baby belongs to his twin, yet still stepping in to protect Ana and claim responsibility, added emotional complexity that elevated the romance. His protective nature felt genuine, not overdone, and made their connection believable and compelling.

The spice level is high, the tension stays consistent, and the story balances romance with suspense well. While a few pacing moments kept it from being a full five stars for me, the emotional stakes and character dynamics were strong enough to keep me fully engaged.

Overall, Ring of Truth is a solid addition to the series and a great entry point for readers who love mafia romance with protective heroes, pregnancy-adjacent tropes, and emotionally charged storytelling. I’ll definitely be going back to read the earlier books in the Astoria Royals series.

[Cinta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ana's situation is out of my expectation. If you read Katya & Lachlan's story, you will know what happened to Anastasia (Katya's sister) in the end of the book (Book name : Deal with the Devil). Everybody thought she was kidnaped, but the truth is she ran away from her father's order. Now i know her pov, it's a little bit messed up learning that she's pregnant by one of O'rourke family member, this will lead both family in a war.
Living in dangerous situation that she create, Ana trying to stay strong for her baby. But when Darragh, her boyfriend's twins is coming to the rescue, he claimed her baby as his too, knowing that the father of the baby is his twin brother,Cormac. Darragh is very prottective to Ana and always take care of her, it makes me feral and i found it very loveable of him to be like that.

The spicy in this book is so hot. One of the thing that i love from pregnancy trope is when the FMC's hormon getting high and the MMC came to help her release it that's freaking hot!

There is this part that making me staring at my invisible camera again...."If this is his baby inside me, then that c*ck theoretically has been inside me, too." damn girl calm your h*rny as$ down. (hope this could convince you to read it 😉)

I read this arc in October, and it ended in cliffhanger, I received the next chapter and every question mark is answered. The scene after cliffhanger is making me nervous. Fortunately, this O'rourke family always has their way to solve the problems. I love Cormac's character development, I hope he will get a better version of himself 💕

4,5

I received an ARC and I leaving this review voluntary.