Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Tropes: fated lovers/soulmates; coming of age; dark romance; romantic suspense; childhood sweethearts; forbidden romance; mafia romance; hitman romance; anti-hero
“You are my past, you are my present, and according to a thousand-year-old lake spirit you are my eternity.”
Entering B.B. Easton’s Devil of Dublin is like entering a fun house at a carnival: cautious. Having posted the cover reveal with the blurb and other teasers, the numerous hashtags attached to this book made me think my heart wouldn’t survive. However, with every turn of the page, those feelings abated, and they clung to the compelling, emotional story of Kellen and Darby. Let me tell you why you should read this story:
- There is a unique voice from Easton in Devil of Dublin. There are still all the things you love about her: her irreverent wit and need to put guns in the hands of her main characters a la her Rain Trilogy. However, there is a soulfulness to DoD that seizes you. Theoretically, it shouldn’t, given the type of tropes found in this book, but Kellen and Darby are special, and they aren’t like any of Easton’s other characters.
- Kellen and Darby’s love is intoxicating. Here’s the thing about them: they are safe amid unsafe circumstances. This is the genius of Easton’s book. You can rest in Kellen and Darby’s love for each other because it is endless and constant when their life situations are traumatic and disruptive. This is the safety of this book, and it draws you deeper into their love affair. Their fated love ameliorates their trauma for the reader.
- And this next point is probably one of my favorite parts of Easton’s storytelling: she recognizes the gap between Kellen and Darby and carefully closes it. Unfortunately, she uses traumatic experiences to do so, but it levels their relationship, creating equality that makes it easy for Darby to fully love Kellen, who needs to be fully loved by someone. This is the true beauty of their book.
- The prose of DoD is gorgeous. Unlike her 44 Chapters…or even Rain Trilogy, the words paint the soul of this book. “I was no longer human or demon or even fucking breathing. I was simply hers— mind, body, and cursed black soul.”
- Kellen and Darby’s personal journeys will steal a bit of your heart as they overcome life’s difficulties. They will do this hand-in-hand, making sacrifices for each other. And it’s the type of love affair you fall in love with in romance.
- Easton’s Author’s Note and Acknowledgements are powerful. They will add knowledge that is important in our current world.
To be honest, I didn’t expect to love B.B. Easton’s Devil of Dublin as much as I did. It’s a beautifully wrought, emotional story about overcoming the odds through the enduring love of your mate. It will fill your soul and remind you of why you love to read romance: for the HEA that acts as a salve for your soul after it’s been pummeled by the story’s truths.
In love and romance,
Professor A
Professor Romance 