Ring of Truth

Astoria Royals #5

by Deborah Garland

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…

Author’s note: Ring of Truth (Extended Version*) is a 77K standalone MF Dark Mafia Romance with mature themes, a pregnant FMC (by the MMC’s Twin), and a possessive single dad who falls first. The story includes explicit content and profanity. It is recommended for mature readers only.

No cheating. HEA guaranteed. No cliffhanger.

*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
Savage King
Sleeping with the Enemy
Deal with the Devil
Ring of Truth
Reckless Obsession
Shattered Veil

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

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

308 pages, Paperback

Published February 20, 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

[Bobby's Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS | Another fantastic MAFIA romance by Deborah Garland! RING OF TRUTH is the 5th book in the ASTORIA ROYALS and tells the individual romance stories of the O’Rourke brothers who are mobsters. This book tells the story of Ana and Darragh and their steamy romance, mixed in with some action, cuteness, and hot badass mafia kings! Can’t wait for the next book in the series!

[♡︎ 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.

[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.

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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!😏

[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.

[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.

[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.

[DarknessLighttt · Rating 5 out of 5]

🐚 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 🐚

𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: single dad, forced proximity, nanny, twin's pregnant ex, enemies to lovers, he falls first, breeding kink, no third act breakup

𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: violence, kidnapping, gambling abuse, pickpocketing, dr*g abuse, car accident, allergic reactions

I loved this book!

Initially I was attracted by the tropes, but I am extremely glad that I had the opportunity to read this book, because it is so good.

Anastasia is put in a very unpleasant situation by her father, which makes her pretend that she was kidnapped. She hides in Vegas where she meets Cormac, who also puts her in an unpleasant situation and with a baby on the way.

Darragh is Cormac's twin, who fought hard to become a good doctor and give his little girl a peaceful life. He always covers all the stuff Cormac does, but not this time. He immediately recognizes Anastasia, the missing Russian mafia princess, and immediately takes her under his protection.

While Ana lives in Darragh's house, they go through a series of changes. In the beginning, they are in a way enemies, but not really, they mostly hide that there is attraction between them, but that changes quickly, and soon the most beautiful moments between them follow. Ana regained her shine that she had lost and found a family that loves her.

I loved how strong Anastasia was when she had to see her father after all this time, and I'm glad that in his own way he accepted her relationship with Darragh.

The way author wrote and the story itself made me want to read the other books in this series , and you have to read it too.

Thank you Deborah Garland for the opportunity to read this amazing book in exchange for an honest review.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first book in this series and it was okay. The book overall is good, but I'm not really sure what it is about this series that I’m not a fan of. It's written in dual POV and goes pretty quick. The writing is good. There are a ton of character descriptions and scene descriptions that immerse you into the world right along with the characters.  There are twists and turns. Excitement and Danger and overall a good story line. I did like this book better than the first book that's for sure. 

In this book we have Anastasia and she has gotten herself in a huge mess! She is trying to escape the plans that her father has for her, in doing so she lands in Las Vegas with an O'Rourke. An Irish man, who is not exactly the person for her to run into or get involved with since she is Bratva. But when it takes that O'Rourke’s twin brother to get her out of the mess she's in, well, it really gets interesting. As usual with these Astoria Royals there's never a dull moment. They bring us all of the excitement, danger, twists, turns 

I'm not sure what it is but there is just something in this series that I just can't get into. That is not something that will affect my review of this book. If you take out my feelings and my personal opinion, this book is a solid 4 stars.  Would it be a book I recommend that if you were looking for a quick mafia read with no 3rd act break up? Sure I'd throw this into the mix. But if you ask me personally if I like this book, then I would say it was just okay. 

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of the Astoria Royals each can be read as a standalone sometimes we question what fate has in store especially with these two so so make sure to double check that you are buckled up, dangerous men, alpha’s personified, possessive, oh, gorgeous, brooding all the makings of a story consisting with three D’s (dark, delicious, and dirty) 😊. There will be suspense, betrayal, death, darkness, secrets reveled, violence, hope, forgiveness, and maybe even love along the way. Ana a sweetheart for the most part with a twisted father who wanted more power then he had already gained at her expense but she ran never stopping to look back after being abused she ran to protect her baby, and she didn’t what or should I say who was coming for her taking her for various reasons. Darragh, did everything in his power to stay away form the life of his mafia family becoming a doctor but his twin brother took another route all he wanted was to raise his little girl, saves lives not take them until his brothers broken and very pregnant walked into his life, he knew she belonged to him so he took her without regard to her feelings. But she was expecting more abuse he provided her wrong and she loved taking care of his girl if truth be told and she is treated with kindness something she hasn’t felt in a long time but when danger comes where does that leave her, will her ex. his twin take her back for more abuse, will he protect her keeping her safe will he have to step into the very life he swore to stay away from, and has she found some peace, rest but above all love?

[VicReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

🔥 𝚁𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚏 𝚃𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚑 🔥
𝚋𝚢 @deborahgarlandauthor

🄰🅁🄲 🅁🄴🅅🄸🄴🅆

4/5 ⭐️
2/5 🌶️

↓↓
After running away from her father and his plans for her, Ana flees to Vegas. She meets Cormac who lives up to the reputation of the O'Rourke brothers and how much of "monsters" they are. After a horrible accident and being bailed out of jail by Cormac's twin brother, Darragh, she embarks on a new life and journey.

While she believes she went from one prison to another with the twin brothers, she slowly learns that Darragh is nothing like his brother and along the way she learns to love her self while also falling in love with Darragh and his daughter Sophie.

I'm happy that Ana got her happiness after everything she went through and excited to get more on the O'Rourke brothers!

𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤 / 𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝔼𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥
🔥 Single Father x Forced Nanny
🔥 Twin's Pregnant Ex
🔥 Enemies to Lovers
🔥 Breeding
🔥 Mafia
🔥 He Falls First
🔥 No Third Act Breakup
🔥 NOT a Love Triangle
🔥 Star-Studded Ending

🏷️
#ringoftruth #astoriaroyals #deborahgarland #singledadromance #nannyromance #enemiestolovers #Romance #RedFlags #Obsessed #booktropes #smutbooks #romancereader #arcreaders #bookboyfriendsdoitbetter #spicyromance #smutlovers #igreads #romancebooks #spicyromancebooks #ReadNow #momswhoread

[Korkoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her Life Changing Decision -
Each of the previous books in the Astoria Royals series has been a true masterpiece, so I had high expectations for this one and I can say without a shadow of doubt, that this book was definitely a great piece of writing that blew my mind. The deeply moving details of what the heroine went though, the highly charged connection between the main characters and the steamy moments, had me totally hooked from the beginning, all the way until the end.

I initially didn’t understand why the length of this book, which was part of the Merciless Desires: Dark Romance Anthology, wasn’t typical of the previous books. However, I now understand why after having read the extended version, as the angst, suspense and action-packed moments, took me and heck of a wild ride, as I was on an edge of my seat, with my heart palpating. Most importantly, the end of this story has me waiting on tenterhooks and really looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Grab a copy of this book now and it will be a worthwhile reading experience.

I received an advanced copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shannon Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anastasia escapes from her Bratva father only to run into the arms of another evil man, not only that be he’s family is the Irish mob, her family’s rival. Cormac starts off as a seemingly saving grace to Ana but that quickly takes a turn when his drinking, drugging, and gambling gets out of hand.

Now two years after her escape, Ana is in a new prison. One where she is pregnant, homeless, and looking at jail time. That is until Cormac’s twin and renowned doctor Darraugh comes to the rescue. Instead of bailing his brother out, he chooses to save the very pregnant Ana instead.

Bringing her back to his home where he lives with his daughter. And… he just happens to be in need of a nanny!

Wow, Dar is another level of a man. Just wait until you see how he feels about Ana’s baby!! Like what?!

For a man that grew up in a mob, he is something else. He’s caring, loyal, protective, and still a total bad-a$$!!

The ending of this one will keep you on your toes!!

-Russian mafia verse Irish mob
-Missing Bratva princess
-Surprise pregnancy
-Twin brothers
-Single dad
-Abusive/toxic ex
-Romantic suspense

[Marisela vidalperez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arc review
Single dad
Force nanny
Mafia
Twin brother ex/ mother of his child
No love triangle
Breeding kink
Both have an attraction to each other
Anatasia(Ana/ stasia) and Darragh

Anatasia is running away from her dad who is Pakhan and has arranged a marriage for her not wanting to do that she made a deal to one of her father not friend to get money to leave which she end up in Vegas and meets Cormac after she is robbed. Cormac is very much a bad boy and a reputation of monsters held of the O'Roukes. Cormac is abusive, drug-addicted and has knocked Ana up with his child and keep her lock in there motel room. When Anna try to escaped, Cormac and Ana are arrested, after causing an accident and the police find drugs, his twin brother Darragh, a single dad, comes to get him out of the mess. What he didn’t realize Ana the Bratva princess who supposedly was kidnapped and the last person Darragh expects to see. He decides she and the child are now his and brings Ana back to Seattle .

There's tons of spice, and possessiveness. I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. She falls in love with Darragh, his daughter and herself.

[Sassy Southern Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the whole story of Ana and Darough that we met in the anthology Merciless Desires. Darough is the twin of Cormac. Cormac gets Ana pregnant starts mistreating her ang holds her captive. They both end up arrested due to Cormacs drug use. Darough goes to bail his twin out but bails Ana out instead when he finds out she's pregnant. He takes her back to his home in Seattle and figures out she's the missing sister of his brother Lauchlan's wife. Anastacia the Bratva princess. In the mean time they start growing a bond and he takes responsibility for his twins baby. This book has added parts in the begging chapters from the anthology and also the rest of the chapters to finish the book where the cliffhanger left off. I couldn't put this book down I loved it. It is well written and has a great amount of steamy. You do need to read the other 4 books in the series to upstand it. It also gives you a small peak of the next book about another brother. I recommend the whole series and this all Deborah Garland's books.- Kristina

[Pat Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Spice – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

🔥Single Father/Forced Nanny
🔥Twin's Pregnant Ex
🔥Enemies to Lovers
🔥Breeding
🔥He Falls First
🔥No Third Act Breakup
🔥NOT a Love Triangle
🔥Star-Studded Ending

Ring of Truth is the fifth book of the Astoria Royals Series by author Deborah Garland. Darragh (MMC), a single father in Seattle, rushes to Las Vegas to bail out his trouble-bound twin brother, Cormac. This is when he encounters Anastasia Koslov (FMC), the bratva princess, arrested alongside Cormac and carrying his baby. Understanding the situation Darragh takes Anastasia under his wing and back to Seattle for her to give birth.

As their story evolves, they must navigate their relationship that has an attraction that neither one of them can ignore. The kindness of Darragh draws Anastasia to him and is vastly different from his brother Cormac. Their relationship simmers until it is boiling over. 🔥🔥Plenty of suspense, twists and turns, and secrets resolved. This is a good book.

[Rainbow Shelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5⭐️
2/5🌶️

Book tropes: Single Father, Enemies to Lovers, Breeding, He Falls First, No Third Act Breakup.

I've never come across a Deborah Garland book that didn't glue me to the pages from start to finish.

"Ring of Truth," the fifth installment of the Astoria Royals series, dives into Anastasia's escapade after fleeing her father's marriage plans, ending up in Las Vegas with cash and no clue about her next move. She bumps into the wrong twin from the Irish Mob, gets pregnant, and lands in a big mess with drugs involved.

Darragh, the other twin, swoops in to save the day, but sparks fly between him and Anastasia.

Their chemistry is off the charts, and Darragh steps up to protect Anastasia and her baby, along with his own daughter, Sophie.

The alpha vibe Darragh gives off toward Anastasia is captivating, and the reunion between Anastasia and Katya is heartwarming.

Overall, this book is a total page-turner, and I couldn't get enough of it! Huge thanks to the author and The Author Agency for the ARC! 😍

[Kia B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall: 5

Book:

genre/troupe: mafia/pregnancy
POV/narrative: 1st alternating
SA / cliffhanger: standalone, 5th in series; best read in order but not necessary

Ingredients:

writing quality: 5 stars
ease of reading: 5 stars
plot: 5 stars
steam: 5 star open door

Recommended for: mafia (but not dark mafia)

Notes / opinion:

When I think this series can't be topped, I'm proved wrong.

Darragh and Ana are a match and their story will pull you in from the start. I love the family dynamics of the series. This book, in particular, pulled me with the the whole pregnancy-baby thing. Although I'm not a fan of a sibling's ex relationship relationship, this really didn't have that feel and certainly didn't dwell on that fact and focused on the relationship of the two main characters as well as the series arc up to this point that is in all the prior books.

Things I liked:
pregnancy through birth and after
extended family
kid
She's mine (even if she's not at that time)
all the mafia 'ingredients' without all the graphic

[Kristina Farmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

ASTORIA ROYALS BOOK 5! I LOVED IT

This is the whole story of Ana and Darough that we met in the anthology Merciless Desires.  Darough is the twin of Cormac.  Cormac gets Ana pregnant starts mistreating her ang holds her captive.  They both end up arrested due to Cormacs drug use.  Darough goes to bail his twin out but bails Ana out instead when he finds out she's pregnant.  He takes her back to his home in Seattle and figures out she's the missing sister of his brother Lauchlan's wife.  Anastacia the Bratva princess.  In the mean time they start growing a bond and he takes responsibility for his twins baby.  This book has added parts in the begging chapters from the anthology and also the rest of the chapters to finish the book where the cliffhanger left off. 

I couldn't put this book down I loved it.  It is well written and has a great amount of steamy.  You do need to read the other 4 books in the series to upstand it.  It also gives you a small peak of the next book about another brother.  I recommend the whole series and this all Deborah Garland's books.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ ARC REVIEW ✨

This is my first book by Deborah Garland and I have to say I truly enjoyed it and was so intrigued by the side characters. This is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. I have already started to reads some of the first books in the series though.

This story was full of instant connection between the main characters. Stacia or as she now prefers ANA, ran away from there house and life after her father had arranged a marriage for her. Due to some event she ends up meeting someone who will change her life, but it might not be for the best?

Darragh is a single father to a beautiful daughter who is his world. He was able to leave his family business and pursue being a doctor.

This book gave you a bit of all the feels, I really enjoyed how story progressed and felt so bad for Ana at times. Yet loved how sweet and caring she could be and how she proved to other she isn't a spoiled bratty princess as they all think.

(Thank you for my copy of this book. Hope you enjoy! 🖤)

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read This extended version tells alot more of the story of Darragh and Anastasia. Darragh saw Anastasia (she goes by Ana now) when he goes to court to get his twin brother, Cormac, out of trouble. He recognizes her right away and is furious with his brother at his treatment of her. Cormac basically kept her prisoner, got her pregnant and made her commit crimes with him. Darragh takes her home with him and decides he is keeping her. I love how they grow to love each other and Darragh's little girl, Sophie, is very sweet. When trouble comes at them from all sides, he calls his brothers (who are the Irish mob) and they come rescue them. Ana knows then she must go see her father and make amends. Of course he was going to marry her off to the Boston thug, but her father is the Russian mob boss so he must know who her allegiance is to.

It was a very good story and I can't wait for the next one.