Shattered Veil

Astoria Royals Standalone, Book 2

By: Deborah Garland

Narrated by: Desiree Ketchum, JF Harding

It started with a little white lie and ended with me being owned by a black-hearted mafia boss. And now... my baby daddy. Of all people to tease to live out a fantasy. I fell into bed with a hacker for the Irish mob: Balor O'Rourke. Who also happens to be my new lethally gorgeous boss with nerdy dark glasses, penetrating green eyes, and a body made for sin. He doesn't do relationships and I'm getting over an abusive ex. With that understanding, we shatter the rules, unleashing his unbridled desires and my carnal urges. But the enemy Balor is chasing turns out to be my father, and I have to choose sides. When my baby news wakes up a passion for marriage and fatherhood Balor didn't know he could feel, a brutal possessiveness takes hold. I may not have a choice now. He says I'm his. Forever.

Shattered Veil is a standalone Mafia Romance with mature themes, a possessive hacker, and a DV survivor. The story includes explicit content. It is recommended for mature listeners only. No cheating. HEA guaranteed.

©2023 Deborah Garland (P)2025 Deborah Garland

Brilliant Story & Narration🎧Enthralling & Intense!

I have so much love for Deborah Garland’s “Astoria Royals” series and the amazing world she created, a mafia world filled with interesting characters and storylines. Each book in the series stands on its own, so you can enjoy them in any order, and once you have enjoyed one, you will want the others because they are all fantastic. “Shattered Veil” is Balor’s and Ella’s story and wow, what a story it is, grabbing my attention from the very start, the moment they met, holding it captive straight to the end. Both meet by chance on a flight back to the states, and a layover that turns into a steamy encounter. We learn plenty in that time, how Balor only does escorts with no repeats and he thinks Ella is one, so Ella went along with it, fulfilling a fantasy. She never had the chance to tell him otherwise because he was gone before she woke up, but that would not be the last to see each other. Her father is starting a new job and secured a job for her at the same company, a personal assistant to the boss, a boss who turns out to be Balor. Balor is the O’Rourke’s tech guru, and he hires her father, Snow, because of who he is and what he can do, and it did not Balor long to see that Ella had no clue about her father’s skills. It was great to watch Balor and Ella’s relationship morph into something so much more, something neither saw coming nor even wanted. Ella was still getting over an abusive relationship and thought she’d never see him again, except narcissistic abusers don’t go away that easily. Garland weaved an intricate web, plotting a multilayered story with plenty of drama, angst, twists and turns, thrilling suspense, heartfelt emotions and steamy romance. It was great to see characters from earlier books and bringing in their own unique skills and charm. Deborah Garland, thank you for another amazing story and the wild, emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧   Desiree Ketchum and JF Harding were the perfect cast to bring these characters to life and did a fantastic job voicing them, accents included, and delivering a perfect portrayal of each. Harding nails it as Balor, grasping every aspect of his personality, and his versatility as a voice artist truly shines in this book, swapping out accents. Ketchum was just as amazing in Ella’s role, showcasing all aspects of her personalty as well. Both were fantastic performing the roles of the side/secondary characters, too. Their pacing and tone were just right for the story and they captured all the character’s emotions, making you feel every single one. They are entertaining storytellers and their captivating performance takes this already amazing story to another level.

My Favorite O’Rourke

Balor might just be my favorite O’Rourke. He seems gruff and grumpy, but one night with a stranger and he’s changing.
Balor is enamored with Ella, and finding out she is actually who he thought she was might make things tricky, but it doesn’t slow down his growing obsession.
Ella is trying to find herself after being in a toxic relationship, her wild night was a step to healing, and that was just the beginning.
The chemistry between Balor & Ella is amazing, I absolutely adore how loving and supportive Balor is, I love that he makes sure Ella knows she is always safe with him. This was full of passion, spice, suspense, secrets, twists and absolute utter betrayal.

JF Harding does an incredible job narrating, his Irish accent absolutely fantastic. Desiree Ketchum did a wonderful job narrating as well.