Irish Brute

Diamond Ring: Irish Mob Trilogy #1

by Alix Key

The Mafia knows my darkest secret, and now I have to pay.

I’m the girl who got away, the woman who said no one would ever own me. I’m strong and brave and fiercely independent.

So how did I end up claimed by the cruelest don in the world?

The only man who can save me is the captain of the Irish Mob. But his help comes with a terrible price: Absolute submission.

Mafia or Mob? Either way, I’m ruined.

Content Note: This book may not be suitable for all readers. A complete trigger warning can be found on the author's website.

The Diamond Ring Dark Romances include:

The Irish Mob Trilogy

Irish Brute
Irish Vice
Irish Reign

The Kidnapped Series

Diamond Solitaire
Rough Diamond
Conflict Diamond
Priceless Diamond

Each series can be read on its own, but the books within each series should be read in order for the best heart-throbbing experience.

If your favorite dark romance tropes are alpha male, angst, billionaire, forced proximity, gothic, Jane Eyre retelling, Irish mob, Mafia, marriage of convenience, organized crime, strong woman, or tortured hero then this is the book for you!

Genres: Romance, Dark Romance, Mafia Romance, Marriage Of Convenience, Dark, Amazon, Contemporary

291 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 11, 2024

About the author

Alix Key was born in Potomac, Maryland, where she grew up making her twin brother and all her dolls act out her favorite fairytales. When an all-grown-up Alix discovered that very real dangers lurk in the woods, she figured out how to rescue herself. She now lives outside Dover, Delaware with her own Prince Charming. When not writing dark romance, Alix serves as the Chief Operations Officer of Diamond Freeport.

Enter the Diamond Ring — www.freemafiabook.com

Reviews

[♥ℳelody · Rating 1 out of 5]

“Stupid fucking cunt,” I growl, and I back off enough to open the door beneath her. She’s still scrambling for balance when I shove her into the hall and slam the door shut.

Are you swooning? 😬 At the 80% mark no less. This lovely little scene was the final straw in what was already an underwhelming, boring, flat, forced mess. Didn't care for this at all. Let me preface this by saying I love morally grey asshole anti-heroes, I'm not a sensitive reader. I can even forgive when it comes to *some* name calling if both parties are giving as good as they get and there is epic groveling in the end. But here? Too far and it wasn't warranted at all. He calls the heroine a stupid cunt and physically throws her out of their hotel room and blocks her number. And here I'm supposed to believe Tweedle Dumb is worried about her for 1 month afterwards? 🙄 Did I mention a homicidal Mob boss is after the heroine and the hero was the one protecting her? The hero is hiding a big secret from the heroine the whole time but you have him throwing her out and scorning her because of lost money and her past history getting exposed? Boy please. Throws her out like a $2 whore all because she hurt his pride? 😶 That's your King? She didn't tell you something out of fear but you can hide this huge secret from her and it's fine? I like my Mafia men with brains and a little self-awareness in their cold dead hearts.


It's no hard guess why I was eager to read this. This is a "Dark" Mafia romance Jane Eyre retelling. And if you are a Jane Eyre fan then you know what to expect going in as far as the mystery. I was even willing to sit through 3 books even though I loathe cliffhanger serials (why can't you put everything into 1 damn book?!) because I love the gothic story and Mr. Rochester's brooding tortured ways. But the beginning of this was already pretty shaky with world building that wasn't so great. I mean the opening scene I thought the hero and heroine were sitting in a car having a meeting only to realize 7 pages later they were in a conference room in a building, then a few pages later they go from standing outside in a snowstorm to entering the heroine's apartment with zero transition or sense of atmosphere. Not a huge deal but overall this needed an editor. The awkward typos and strange prose and writing style in some places was less forgiving and hard to ignore.

But biggest issue? I just didn't care for the hero and heroine, especially the hero. The chemistry was severely lacking and I don’t mind erotica/BDSM, but here….I kinda did. The whole Dom/sub dynamic wasn't convincing at all, especially for a heroine like Samantha and for me that's what killed it. The Dom/Sub slaps you in the face like a dead fish and just happened way too soon and felt so abrupt and forced into this book. You have both hero and heroine talking about "consent" after the hero literally made her get on her knees and beg him to let her stay at Thornfield after she breaks a "rule" and then spanks her bare-assed and finger fucks her faster than you can blink. What consent? lol What in the world are you talking about? And this happens days after she moves into Thornfield Hall. There's no build up to it. The heroine Samantha Mott is supposedly a fearless attorney who prides herself on her career and getting the job done and not being controlled. She comes from a rather infamous Italian family with mob ties which she's gone great lengths to escape from and even changed her name only to fall into trouble when her dead cousin's psychotic husband Don Antonio Russo hunts her down and demands she marries him or else. In steps her client, the hero, Braiden Kelly chief of the Irish mob the Fishtown Boys who offers marriage and protection from Russo. For what it's worth I liked that Sam had a spine but that spine collapses like a cheap suitcase whenever Braiden starts demanding stuff from her. Which I'm ok with but given her PTSD and the violence she witnessed it was a bit hard to swallow and made this otherwise interesting character come off shallow. Samantha is supposed to be an independent ball buster but she just "can't help herself" whenever she's around Braiden. It wasn't enough for me. I don't mind wavering and giving in at all but I need more incentive than spanking and a fancy emerald collar he puts on her because we get NOTHING else beyond that. Emotional connection? Bonding? Where? When? What makes the story of Jane Eyre so compelling is Jane while poor and innocent has a backbone, principles and resilience of steel against the domineering powerful Edward Rochester. You felt that push and pull and the tension. Here it felt like a poor parody, just take the bones of the story but make it Mafia smut and nothing more. How we go from Samantha being offended, pissed off, confused by his proposition to her getting on her knees calling him "sir" and kissing his fucking shoe in less than 5 minutes is just laughable. She's praising this guy for "giving her choices" when she's literally given no options at all. He gives her a safeword but only after threatening to kick her out and only when he wants to spank her and shoves his fingers inside her so it very much felt like a real threat and not an act and killed the whole "role playing" visage for me. I'm not a stickler for verbal consent and don't mind toxic traits but don't label something as consent and do the exact opposite. It makes your characters look stupid as hell and weak.

And the writing was weird with cringey analogies that made you go 'what?'

When she finishes, she exhales with the satisfaction of relieving a long bout of constipation.

A ripple crosses her belly, like she’s an Olympics athlete fighting for gold.

His laugh is the harsh bark of an exhausted sheepdog.

He laughs like a man plucking whiskers from puppies’ faces.

And just stuff like this:

Now I have all the time in the world. I can undo my shirt, button by button. I can shrug it off, tossing it toward the bench. I can toe off my shoes. My socks. I can work the button on my trousers. The zipper. I can shuck my pants and my boxers too.

My hands close around his throat. I can press my thumbs into his larynx, strangle him and be done. Or I can pound his head into the ground, hitting heavy and hard. Or I can stop, grab his bollocks, and squeeze with all my strength.

It was like reading multiple choice. Do I get to pick what he does? lol This isn't clever writing when I can't tell what the fuck your character is actually doing in a scene.

I may be the odd one out here and while I really hate cliffhanger serials I was willing to give this a try because of its inspiration but unfortunately I’m not eager to pick up the next book so I think I’ll just bow out here. The character development wasn't strong enough and writing needs help. The fact that I don't care if these 2 get their HEA should speak for itself. This didn’t hold my attention long enough to sit through 2 more installments. There’s just waaaaaaay too much room for even more messy (unnecessary) break ups and contrived drama just to drag out a HEA. Which is another reason why cliffhanger serials are angst-bating, long drawn-out, bullshit IMO. Not my thing.

ETA: Screw it, changed my rating from 2 stars to 1 star as there was literally nothing I liked about this.

[Maddygirl]

Want to Read
Nenia said "If you like the Underboss Insurrection series by Cate C. Wells...

I'm in.

[Turah Shaver · Rating 3 out of 5]

enjoyed it

I really enjoyed the portrayal of the D/S dynamic. How he saw things in her she wouldn’t acknowledge, helped her work through it, and watched her limits like a hawk. The affirmation was swooney. I didn’t enjoy the cliffhanger but I rarely do, personally. Overall a good read. I’m not itching to get to the next one tho and was hoping it would consume me more

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

I loved everything but two parts that’s the reason for the rating. I won’t go into them because they will spoil it.
I do recommend this though. I’m glad I picked it up. I’m now reading the second book.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this dark Mafia romance. Samantha thought her past was behind her but was wrong, then entered Braiden, and her life was turned around.

[Stephanie Shepherd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing

This book was perfect, it told a story but didn't add allot of fluff. Have just enough smut to make it delicious without being over the top.

[Juliet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised by how good this was! Definitely very dark but not too much for me even though I am a giant baby.

I thought the BDSM representation was actually one of the better examples I’ve read, but that’s also not my area of expertise so your mileage may vary.

Since this was a Jane Eyre retelling the twist was not a surprise to me at all, and I think I know who the real baddie is, but I’d read the sequels to find out for sure. 😉

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite book series

[TheReaderVert · Rating 4 out of 5]

mo chailín maith

Jane Eyre is a book with big shoes to fill. It is a deeply communicative and initimate deep dive into Jane's feelings, thoughts and fears as the love story unfolds. Even though I'm glad some story beats shifted, our Jane, aka Samantha, is a 32 yo grown woman vs 18 yo new adult.

Character moments:
The change is refreshing as Sam is an intriguing FMC with a great career (tax revenue lawyer) with a sense of individualism reflective of Jane Eyre's greatest characterization.

“I’ll be your girl. You’re the only one who can call me that.”

Here the author cleverly has Sam exhibit submissive needs; a side she would only show with the MMC because he's special, he clearly has love for her and she trusts him.

Another cool upgrade in this retelling is that our broody Mr Rochester, aka Braiden, who gets his own specific pov chapters.

“You had no right⁠—” “I’m your husband,” he says. “It’s my job to make sure you take care of yourself.”

Thank goodness we see his card hand as it gives context to the broody scenes. Man this is the most earned slide from "I'm an independent woman I don't need a man" to wearing a locked collar I've seen in a minute.

Sex was kink-ing:

"Tonight, I have to protect my sub. “Eyes on me,” I snap."

Braiden is Mr. You don't top from the bottom and I have to teach you that lesson Kelly

It was rewarding readers for having faith the relationship would get there and boy oh boy was the romance arc 🔥 🥵 and steamy. Braiden is really good at what he does 😉

Dark Mafia:
This is handsdown a great representation of Irish Mafia. The romance wasn't super dark but the organized crime was realistically violent. I appreciated that the environment was just was in its brutality. Character mistakes in that environment feeds into other aspects of the story.

Anger:
Unlike others the cliffhanger didn’t bother me because duh it's the biggest twist ever in Jane Eyre and I knew it was coming but instead my ire is due to the 3 book trilogy roll-out. Aht aht ✋🏾. Charlotte Brontë told her whole story in one book, dropped in one seating.

"I am wounded. We both are. And the only way to heal is by speaking."

This getting stretched out is ridiculous. The 3rd act argument didn't make sense to their love story but was done to clearly help push us into a book 2.

Overall:
Love the story. Good retelling so far that sucks you in but will I hang on past book 2? Shoot, do I really want to engage past book 1? That remains to be seen, but who am I kidding? As a Jane Eyre fan I'll hang on as long as the characters keep haunting me.

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say, a Jane Eyre retelling is a rarity and a welcome break from the usual retellings (Cinderella, beauty and the beast, hades/persephone, etc). While parts of this were hard to read because of the violence, it was very compelling and I had trouble putting it down.

[Heather Dudley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Irish Brute is a mafia romance story that grabs your attention from the beginning and holds it captive all the way through to the end. Irish Brute is the first installment of the Irish Mob trilogy. Author Alix Key’s writing is quite amazing to the point where it made it quite difficult to set this book down. Irish Brute‘s characters were quite interesting and honestly very fascinating. Irish Brute is full of spicy, full of amazing action scenes, and so many different twists, turns, and surprises. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Irish Brute story, and I’m thankful to have the chance to read this book. I would HIGHLY encourage anyone to read this book. I’m looking forward to reading more books from this series.

Irish Brute details:
Samantha thought she’d left her former life behind, that they would never find her, but now she was either forced to marry an unhinged mafia boss or the captain of the Irish mob. There’s no denying that Braiden is far from a saint, but he offers Samantha his protection, as long as she follows his rules. Braiden was always going to be the better choice, even if Antonio Russo hadn’t been a murderous psychopath, yet though she goes into this marriage with her eyes wide open, Braiden keeps pushing her boundaries, as she falls ever deeper under his spell. I loved how he dispelled all her concerns and made her feel safe enough to let him take control. Yet though he wanted Samantha’s trust, it seemed that was not a two-way street when she begs him to believe that she would never betray him.

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

[Debbie Lyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

In true mafia style!

This story has lots action and suspense! Samantha is a lawyer who knows how to fight down and dirty and this is how she meets Branden who is Irish mafia, they get stuck in a snowstorm and she gets bad news and this is how they come to be together. She is threatened buy her cousin 's husband who is Branden's arch enemy. She becomes his wife and the threats become worst and Branden lost is greater has days go by,Samantha has a dark secret that she has kept hidden and now Branden 's enemy threatens to bring it out if she doesn't tell him certain things about her husband,but she decides she has enough and calls his bluff and it's too late and she watches has he releases her terrible secret and her world has she sees come to a end,her marriage, her everything she work hard for.I have never read anything by this author and it was super good and hope to read more!Part of story really got to me and I know about them saying something about triggers but I cried the way poor Donnie died but it didn't seemed to hit me when Sam loses her cousin in such a violent way,I sometime think it's my body or system is mess up,I can be reading a story with lots death and gore and not she'd a tear but next I be crying over a story where the hero or heroine has good day or something like that! Please read this story,I found it very enjoyable and route for team Branden and Samantha all the way!Oh if you think Samantha had a secret you have to find out a certain one that Branden kept hidden from Samantha!

[Jessica Leek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Mob storyline. Some twist.


Irish Brute: An Irish Mafia Jane Eyre Retelling
By Alix Key

Diamond Ring Irish Mob Trilogy book 1

4.5☆☆☆☆

4 🌶🌶🌶🌶

Estimated read time
[Kindle] 4 hrs 30 min

Favorite quote


He’s my frustratingly talented brother who’s lazy enough to make a three-toed sloth look hyperactive.

Overall reactions

This is an interesting look at the Irish Mob. The main female character in this one is from Italian Mob family and has had a past that comes back to bite her multiple times.
The mmc Braiden is a Captain in the Irish Mob, basically he reports to the boss, and runs the fishbowl boys in Philly.

Mafia love aside this is basically a story of a woman learning that submissive can sometimes be freeing. There are so many twist and turns in the 1st book. With the sounds from upstairs her, uncle, and The Night.

My favorite part is the presentation of the collar. It just sounds beautiful. I sent it to mine and he's like that sounds expensive.

Closing thoughts, the cliffhanger makes me so glad that I don't read trilogies before they are finished. Worth the Kindle download.

[Nenia Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Irish mafia Jane Eyre retelling? The way I was so excited for this-- and it was so good. Samantha is a lawyer with a dark secret, and when she hears the Italian mobster who always overshadowed her childhood killing her childhood friend/cousin on the phone, she knows she's in terrible danger. Enter her client, Braiden Kelly, who takes it upon himself to offer her marriage in exchange for protection.

This has BDSM but it's all consensual and I felt like the kink and total power exchange were done really well. The Jane Eyre parallels were also brilliant and I loved how the author infused this with gothic vibes, even though it was definitely still a mafia romance. It was actually one of the better Jane retellings I've read that was a deviation from the original formula, and I thought that was super fun for me.

If you like the Underboss Insurrection series by Cate C. Wells, I think you'll really enjoy this, as it has similar vibes but with more spicy times.

4.5 stars

[Taylor Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Alix for the ARC! What a RIDE. This was a solid 4.5/5 for me ⭐️

I’ve been a bit desperate for something mafia/mob-esque and this definitely hit the spot. It had so much drama, tension, and the right amount of spice for me. I loved S+B’s dynamic (not necessarily the D/s side of, just their relationship in general). I wanted a bit more from the side characters, but I’m hoping I’ll find out more of their history in the following books of the series!

From a technical side, I really enjoyed Alix’s writing. I thought it flowed really well, was balanced, and had the right mix of description, dialogue, etc.

My only qualm with the book was literally the spelling of Aoife. Otherwise, I really enjoyed!

[Book_barbie_87_o · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've not read a decent mafia book for a while as they all become a bit same-y, so I had a break from that genre however couldn't resist when I saw this book for review.
I really enjoyed the writers style of writing.
There is a good amount of spice in the book and I love Braiden and Kelly's relationship and the dynamic that they had.
Their story is emotional and gritty at parts and there's times when you think you know what's going to happen and then it goes the other way 🙈🤣
Only thing I hated was that it ended on a cliffhanger haha!!
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Beata Beatrix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intense, dark romance.
🔸️It is a story about 2 highly capable but deeply traumatized people, who decide to go for an arranged marriage.
Their relationship is difficult, full of push and pull, hidden truths, lies and omissions.
🔸️There are plenty spicy scenes here. All of them are raw and dirty, with bit twisted D/s dynamic.
🔸️The premises of the story are settled in brutal and corrupted universe. There is violonce and gore. Almost all characters are morally grey.
🔸️Well written and interesting to read.
For all who enjoys bit psycho MMC, troubled FMC and toxic relationships.

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

[Ashley ADirtyRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

cliffhangers should be illegal

I dont even know how to start with this right - her cousin ends up *gone* on the phone with the FMC Samantha. Her cousins husband (don russo) shows up to take her now because why not keep it in the family. Her client (she's an attorney btw) saves her from this creep by claiming they are engaged. You cant just embarrass the "Don" like this, so this moment starts a series of tit for tat (but its crime guys so its extreme lol)

While all this is going on, the Sam finds out she likes being a sub 😅 so hehehe

but like bruuuuuhhhhh the cliffhanger - the cliffhanger?! I wasn't ready now I gotta go download the 2nd one

[Stephanie Stradtman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The protection, the “punishments” and the way they each came out of the shell…so good!!

The way he saw her and knew what she needed. She was a strong independent woman during the day and at night she is a submissive and just following orders.

To have that time where you don’t have to think about anything is so important. He saw that and yeah he did kind of force it on her but she would have never done it unless it was.

The one line that got me:
“I want something brighter. Something pretty. Something soft. I want one of the skirts Braiden made me wear. But more than that, I want someone to notice I’m working late. I want someone to care.”

[Allison Baron]

DNF at 60%

First, I’m from the Philly area. I feel like she name dropped as many places as she could like she was trying to prove she lives here.

Then there was all the Irish slang, which I could infer. But it was more than any other book I’ve read.

Those were just annoyances though. I stopped reading because I felt like there were things that weren’t said. Like it opens with the fmc hearing a traumatic event. But then she’s like he xxxed her. And then he murdered her! And I don’t know how she knew the first thing happened. And it happened a couple more times, that I felt like I was missing things.

[GKP2460 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Irish Brute is book 1 in The Irish Mob Trilogy and is Samantha and Braidens story. Braided Kelly is the Head of the Philadelphia Irish Mob, Samantha Mott is the attorney trying to keep him and his business straight. But the secrets she hides could very well cost her everything and then some. Irish Brute is my first read by this author but definitely not my last. It's an intense, gritty, emotional, raw story. Things are not always what they seem with these characters and that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Irish Mafia book that pulls you in right away. There is dom/sub play in this book and it's 🔥🔥 the spice does not disappoint but also isn't over done in the book. Sam is a very independent fmc and has run from her past for many years. Her client, an Irish mob boss sticks up for her from a pass family member and "fakes" marries her to save her. They instantly fall for eachother. But there are so many twists and turns in this book it will keep you in the edge of your seat! And the book ends on a cliffhanger!!

[Shifty Bugger · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

I absolutely loved this book it was definitely amazing with the excitement, the twist and turns, the action, lies, secrets, drama, Samantha is a lawyer so when the cruellest brutal Don told her they were getting married she hated him and said no then Braiden happened to be behind her and saved the day or life. Braiden is the captain of the Irish Mob he is ruthless he is organising a wedding and it had to be a certain church and in a short time to help a person out. This might start a war or it could have already started.and the chemistry between the two main characters steamy, spicy and with a deliciously Dom/sub relationship.

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

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was Branden and Samantha’s story. Sam’s the girl who got away, the woman who said no one would ever own me. She’s strong, brave and fiercely independent. So how did she end up claimed by the cruelest don in the world? The only man who can save her is the captain of the Irish Mob. But his help comes with a terrible price: Absolute submission. Mafia or Mob? Either way, she’s ruined. It was an intriguing and steamy read. Looking forward to the next book in this trilogy. And voluntarily leaving this review.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark, Sexy and Captivating 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

I'm thrilled to have discovered Alix Key's work! Irish Brute is a gritty, intense romance that drew me in.
Braiden, the ruthless mob boss, and Samantha, the feisty lawyer, collide in a whirlwind of convenience and desire. Their story is raw, passionate, and unpredictable.
Key skillfully balances darkness and sensuality crafting a tale that's both shocking and captivating. The twisty ending left me stunned!
With the trilogy complete I'm eager to dive into the next installment.

[Lyritza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw a raving review of this trilogy and thought I'd give it a shot. My review is not as raving, though. I'd say this an average mafia read.
I think the lack of feels and connection between the main characters made everything else fall flat. The D/s themes and scenes were lukewarm because they missed emotion. There was so much drama and hurtful words between them that even when they moved past it, I still didn't feel the love. Instead, it felt like the attraction was based on the need for control or to be controlled.

[Lisa Tutty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hooked from page one. I could not put this down and read it pretty much in one sitting. I devoured this book. As far as mobster boss’s go, Braiden is the king. I felt “that night” 11 yrs ago could have been a little more horrific, but I’m glad she went home. But the cliff hanger at the end has me wanting more and defiantly need the next installment. If you love mafia, forced proximity, little bit of spice and some action it’s a must read!

[Seems · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely hate it when authors don't warn of a cliffhanger, makes me never want to pick up a book by them again.

Now onto the book. The writing was choppy and the fmc who started out strong at the beginning loses all agency, becomes dumb by the end and we get to meet the mmcs real wife at the cliffhanger. She thinks she's married to him, he lied to her and basically takes over her whole life.

[Linsey Toney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Irish Brute is a spicy DR. 18+ Read Trigger Warnings

OMG! This is the 1st book I've read from this author and I'll be reading more, also you have to since she leaves you with a cliffhanger lol... ! This book grabs your attention from page 1 and the spice is there with a sub/dom relationship, but it's not overkill IMO. I would recommend this read but it's not one for everyone so please read the trigger warnings before the book!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Branden and Samantha. Hes Irish mafia. Shes an attorney who knows how to fight and doesnt back down. They meet when they get stuck in a snowstorm. Her cousins husband is Brandens enemy. Shes being threatened by him to keep her secret to get intel on Branden. She refuses and when she and Branden marry the threats get worse. She is not who she says she is. Wonderful story well written intriguing suspensful loved it.

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