Brutal Collateral

An Irish Mafia Enemies to Lovers Arranged Marriage Dark Romance (Quinlan Empire, Book 1)

De: Deborah Garland

Narrado por: Lucy Rivers, Joe Arden, Derek Duvall

I don’t want a wife. I don’t want a prisoner. But she just became both…

Seven years ago, Hadleigh Castille fell into my bed and never left my heart.
Then she disappeared and my hunger for vengeance was born.
My body wasn’t the same after that night.
She left for war, but I lived a daily life of blood and violence for the Irish Mob.

Now, I’ve risen to power in my own right, but to keep my crown I must align with the enemy.
When he presents his sister to me as a bride, my heart takes a tumble.
The woman I knew, the siren I never got over isn’t Hadleigh Castille, Navy Lieutenant.
She’s the missing Greek Princess, Ava Zervas.

Only, she’s not a princess at all.
She’s tough, brash, mouthy, and hates me more than her brother at the moment.
She’s my weakness, but I’m her downfall.

She thinks I’ll let her go in six months.
She doesn’t know the meaning of obsession and desire.
Until now.

Brutal Collateral is Book 1 in the Brand-New Irish Mafia Series: Quinlan Empire.

This exciting new dark mafia series features the Quinlan Brothers from the Astoria Royals Series who also first appeared in Rebel Billionaire (November 2020).

©2025 Deborah Garland (P)2025 Deborah Garland

Wild Ride!!!

Deborah gave us a fast-paced, suspenseful, emotional story with great banter, spice, and some laughs mixed in. This story hooks you from the start and doesn't let go! I loved all of the characters, and I look forward to continuing this series. The narration is outstanding!!! 👏

Amazing listening experience!

Fantastic story and sublime narration . Story pulls you in and keeps you invested but the narrators deserve awards for bringing it to life! Top listen this year and killed my listening slump! Joe Arden leaves me speechless.

Love the start to the series!

What a wild ride! Deborah Garland starts her new series off with a bang and I am along for the ride! It's fantastic. Yes, it's morally gray, but it's a phenomenal story. Ava was sent to the US Navy to be saved from being sold for her father's debts. Here she becomes the fierce killer she is. But one night, she met Griffin, the next head of the Irish mafia and has a one night stand that neither can forget. When it comes time to make a deal with Greek mafia, Ava's brother offers her to Griffin as his new wife. Little did these two know they would ever see each other again. But is it all flowers and chocolate? Garland works in humor, dirty talk, danger, and ways to showcase just how incredible they both are. Spicy and passionate, dark and dangerous, I was all in on this listen and now I can't wait to hear what comes next in the Quinlan Empire.

Lucy Rivers, Joe Arden and Derek Duvall are the story tellers and WOW. The attitude, the danger, the passion, it's all there with each one, bringing the characters alive. Rivers creates the best strong woman that is Ava/Hadley. Arden is so good as Griffin, dirty talking leader and Duvall pops in with a few cameos letting me know just how good the upcoming books are going to be. I loved their story telling!

Wow, just amazing!

I loved the entire Astoria universe. I think this series is my favorite and it's only the first book in this series. Griffin is hands down hot AF.

Very Nice

I really enjoyed this one. It had everything I love. I can’t wait to listen to the next one. Thank you for this masterpiece.

Another Win

I loved these characters and the narrators were fantastic! I’m not sure I’ve read or listened to a book by Deborah that I haven’t loved.

This is the first book in her new series and per usual she hit it out of the park. The characters, the banter, the spice are all top notch. You do not want to sleep on this author and any of her mafia series. If you are an audiobook person then you will like this one. It is duet style which I absolutely love.

Great start to the next series

Okay, I’m convinced: author Deborah Garland’s books are addictive. Actually, I was convinced before; Brutal Collateral just proves the point once again. Start reading and then start listening because the narrators are always amazing. And those accents . . . .

Brutal Collateral is the first book in Garland’s new Quinlan Empire series. New series, but some familiar characters. Garland’s books and series just seamlessly slide from one family and topic to the next, bringing all the characters we’ve already fallen in love with along, putting them in new positions and new situations, introducing new characters we also now can’t do without.

Through a series of complex events, surprising family connections, duty and honor the Quinlans are no longer going to provide security for the Astoria O’Rourkes. Instead, they will become their own organization, and Griffin Quinlan is the new head of the Irish Mafia in Lower Manhattan. Note the word Mafia; some things are non-negotiable. Deals are made to keep the peace or strengthen the families. Arranged marriages are common; daughters and sisters almost always have nothing to say about it. If they aren’t married to someone they don’t know or don’t want, they can be unceremoniously shipped off to somewhere they don’t want to go.

Ava is a Greek Mafia princess. As soon as she turns 18 her father plans to marry her off to clear his debts and save his own life. But one of her brothers “rescues” her and forces her to enlist in the Navy. So she’s spared marrying someone she doesn’t know or doesn’t want, but lucky Ava, she’s shipped off to somewhere she never wanted to go. She’s strong and determined, though, and makes a life for herself. A dangerous life but it’s hers; she controls it.

Until suddenly the strings are pulled again and now once more she’s shipped off to somewhere she doesn’t want to go – and – forced into marriage with someone she doesn’t know and doesn’t want. Part of the Quinlan Empire deal includes an arranged marriage between Griffin and Ava. Neither of them wants this marriage, but honor and loyalty are important, and frankly there is probably nowhere on earth Ava could run to and be safe.

Ava is defiant, outspoken about her displeasure, resists everything and everyone. Griffin can be cold and brutal when necessary, but he respects Ava’s physical and strategic planning skills. And the Quinlans don’t mistreat women the way the Greeks do. So it’s kind of a wary truce, neither trusts the other, they are both capable of inflicting harm, but they’re both strong and patient enough to secure the peace with the mafia and mob, and Griffin proposes they stay together for a set period of time and then part. The only inconvenient thing is their boiling hot attraction to each other, and the – Surprise! – history they didn’t realize they had.

No matter how many books I read by author Garland I will still be amazed and impressed at how she melds the violence and the mafia and the brutality with the lust and the love and the tenderness. Mafia romance sounds like an oxymoron but it’s not, and it’s now one of my favorite genres. Brutal Collateral continues the long line of satisfying books she’s given us so far. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it without hesitation. I am eager for the next story in this new series. I received an advance copy of Brutal Collateral. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

Irish Mafia Boss tangles with Pyscho Greek princess

This audiobook has everything that you would want in a dark mafia romance.

1. Irish accents by Joe Arden
2. Sassy, strong, badass FMC that had been at the mercy of her father & brother her entire life but is ready to make her own life
3. Lots of plots twists and a bit of intrigue
4. A one night stand seven years prior that then turns them to enemies through arranged marriage then to love for each other and the dark life they can build together

When Griffin takes Hadley one night in the hotel room, it is the best sex of his life but he wakes up tied to the bed. He knew Hadley was different but he didn’t know how different. That was seven years ago and there is no way that the Greek princess Ava he has agreed to marry so his family can bring peace to the Irish/Greek mafia war is the same person. Her name was Hadley and she had blond hair and was a hellcat. This woman is quiet and has dark hair but those eyes haunt him.

Ava has been able to claim her life back after being sold to the military to pay off a debt her father had. Her brother steals her back after their father is dead and he takes the head of the family. But her life isn’t hers for long as she is promised in marriage to Griffin Quinlan for the sake of family business.

What follows is a story that has not only adventures, excitement, mafia dealings, unaliving people, but tenderness and love as the two main characters begin to realize that they truly love each other and are ready to build a life together. The narration on this book is wonderful and really helps to tell the story between the two main characters and the side characters of the Quinlan Empire. This is book one in a series that Promises to bring even more excitement to us with mafia romance and the Quinlan Empire.

DEBORAH!!!! I NEED MORE!!!!

I devoured this book!!! I had high hopes from the clips I was hearing, but it was so much better then I expected! I absolutely love the fmc and how she's such a bada**. She's not what you typically find in a mafia book, she's so much better. This book has everything. She blended dark mafia with comedy, strong characters, and tons of spice. Of course the narrators did a phenomenal job bringing the characters to life. Job well done for everyone involved with this masterpiece 👏

Soooo good!

fantastic narration and very well written. 🌶 🌶🌶🌶🌶 and Joe Arden is just chef's kiss per usual