My Dark Christmas Wedding

Crowned in Sin

by Autumn Brookes

I came to kill him. Now I'm wearing his ring.

Declan O'Sullivan, the Irish crime lord who had my parents murdered.

He has been circling me like I'm prey, watches me through security cameras when I posed as the new governess for his twin daughters .

He knows something's off—he just can't prove it yet.

His girls adore me.

His love for them is the only opening I’ve got.

But Declan didn't survive this long by trusting beautiful strangers.

He corners me in dark hallways, breath on my neck, body caging mine like he can hear every lie in my pulse.

And God help me—the man I'm supposed to murder is the only one who's ever made me feel alive.

Every touch could be my last mistake. Every kiss tastes like betrayal.

When my cover finally blows, he shoves a gun to my spine and gives me one "Marry me on Christmas Day or join them."

Now I'm the monster's bride, trapped in his bed and his brutal games.

He wants to break me. Remake me. Keep me.

As old enemies start closing in,

Hatred becomes obsession. Lies become truth.

I am falling for the monster I was made to destroy.

544 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 29, 2025

Reviews

[Donna Nalbandian Woerner Homschek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting story, wonderful characters. Danger, lies, great plot, two strong willed characters, villains, treachery, finding love the hard way.

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

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling and entertaining story that will have you glued to the pages right from the start. Declan O’Sullivan is head of Irish Mafia family and father to adorable little twin girls, whilst they are identical, they couldn’t be more different both very intelligent in their own way but he hasn’t been able to find a governess that they like or that has been able to keep their brains stimulated. A new governess arrives, Essa Walsh, both Declan and his second in charge have doubts that Essa is as perfect as her resume and all their investigations have proved to be, she is too perfect. They are very suspicious but investigations will continue. The girls, although slow to approve, fall in love with Essa, Declan is mesmerised by her beauty and is distracted by his attraction to her. Essa has a job to do at the O’Sullivan mansion and it’s not as a governess, she has been trained for eighteen years to take revenge for her parents death, but the girls have started to win her heart, her attraction to Declan is wrong. Together they are facing lies, betrayal, danger but also there is the building of the beautiful trusting relationship with Essa and the girls and the relationship with Declan and Essa, what happens when he finds out her original assignment at his house?
I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book via BookSprout and I am writing this review voluntarily

[Ruth R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Declan a divorced man and a dad of a seven years old twin daughters , his ex wife suggested to hire a governess, when he looked at the photo he was curious about the woman .

Aiofe Brennan, with a false name Nessa, wanted revenge ,at 8 years old she witnessed her parents killed,she faked to be the woman who was a good governess, she wanted to kill the man whose organization killed her parents.
Colm the man who raised her after her parents died he trained her to kill and he gaved her 29 days to kill Declan.
When she was spending time with the twins she became protective over them, she was becoming soft.
Declan checked her background but found everything perfect he couldn’t believe and he and his men were dubious, until he fell for her.
One day he heard his ex wife fighting with her and when he entered she told him that she’s hiding something.

An amazing reading, a mafia book that I recommended.

[Pat Stanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Declan and Nessa's Story

The story is a roller-coaster and totally enjoyable.
Declan O'Sullivan is a strong leader of his family, wirh 2 seven year old daughters. His ex-wife left him and the girls and tge girls have suffered from abandonment issues since, especially as their father's busy with his mob responsibilities.
Nessa walsh comes to their household as a governess but she is really an assassin on a mission to kill Declan.
The relationship blossoms but Nessa's mission and past are exposed, causing problems.
There is considerable violence but overall, the book is excellent.

[GKP2460 · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Dark Christmas Wedding is Declan and Nessa's journey and is a great read! Declan is Head of the Irish Mafia and a single father in need of a Governess. This is where Nessa comes in. Their journey is indeed dark. Filled with lies betrayals, secrets and deceit, this is a story where everything is definitely not as it seems. It's a fantastic, captivating story that'll pulled me in and held me until the very end in the very best way.

"It's about family.
Being together.
Being safe.
Being home.
Being loved."

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book about Declan and Nessa. I criminal leader who was targeted, but another family for extinction. And, Ness, the weapon who decided she was more than a weapon - she was a woman with a fierce love. Just when I thought the book was over it took an interesting twist. I was enthralled from the beginning to the last page.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gripping pulse-pounding mafia romance book that has you reading all about Nessa and Declan to see how everything ends between them. What I loved the most reading this book was the character development as the romance unfolded page after page, chapter after chapter. This is an excellent suspenseful book I couldn’t get enough of.

[Rodney Wiedrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very dark. You have an ex-wife who turns to the enemy of her husband to try to get custody of her kids because she lost so much in the divorce. You have a devious enemy who will use anyone they can to try and get the upper hand and when those people are nolonger useful, he kills them. If you want to read a veery dark book about a mafia romance then you should read this one.

[Donna McEachran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read with a very strong female main character. Nessa is a weapon, sent to be a governess to Declan's twin daughters...and also to kill Declan. The girls are really the ones to get through to Nessa initially. My only complaint is that this is a very long book with a fair bit of repetition.
I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review.

[Kim Bunch · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Dark Christmas Wedding

Let me just start with a wow! This story covered all the bases. The heroine....A woman forged as a weapon from the age of 8. The whole story from two sides which made it even better. Surprisingly, I enjoyed that. Let me just say it's 💯 % mafia with a twist.

[Gladys · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The emotions and feelings are very intense and when combined with the drama, tension, twists and suspense it makes a potent combination that pulls you in and keeps you passionately invested.

[Sammye · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is part of the Crowned in Sin series. It’s a very good Irish mafia, forced marriage romance. It’s emotional and full of danger, suspense, drama and twists. I really enjoyed Nessa and Declan’s intense story. It’s a great read.

[Ilene G> · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good and different Mafia Romance.

Lots of danger and action. Declan and Nessa are strong-willed characters. The plot is exciting, and the side characters are good. Nessa is unlike any heroine I've seen in a Mafia Romance.

[Will]

Awesome story

[Brittney Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful. I love the characters and the twists that go along with them! Couldn’t have been a better read!

[Gussie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I knew exactly how this book would be but oh boy was I wrong. I could not put it down and loved reading about Declan and Nessa’s crazy ride of a relationship!

[Teresa R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Promises to Keep
Her mission was to eliminate him. Until she met his daughters and everything she knew was changed forever. Promises to keep to twin innocents caught in a world that she wouldn’t allow to destroy them.