His Ruthless Queen

Black Hearts, Book 3

By: A.N. Stauber

Narrated by: Jason Clarke, M.K. Blackwood

Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Saoirse Murphy. Fierce, stubborn, strong. She was the temptation I couldn’t give in to. I would’ve gone through hell for her. Even if it meant removing myself from her life to save her the heartache that comes from being with a Made Man.

But when she needed me, I couldn't resist her call. I would always be there for her. Even if it meant seeing her in the hands of another man. At least that’s what I told myself.

Saoirse was walking temptation, and I didn’t believe I could resist. Jameson Scott Burne.Best friend, confidant, protector.

I’d always loved him, but he left me, destroying everything before we even had a chance. He was my everything until he wasn’t. He swore we could be nothing, until I called his bluff.

But when the bratva prince wanted to force me into marriage to cement his hold over Boston, Scotty came back. He claimed me—tried to make up for the past.

Could I trust him to keep me safe? Could the man who left me be trusted with my life, now that I was engaged to someone else?

***His Ruthless Queen is a stand-alone in an interconnected series. All books can be listened to in any order.***

©2023 A.N. Stauber (P)2024 A.N. Stauber

Fantastic Story & Narration🎧Captivating & Steamy!

This dark Mafia romance is fantastic, the story is original with interesting storylines that are captivating from start to end. Saoirse Murphy is a Mafia princess, and despite not being involved in the family business, she was still under their protection because they look out for their own and she could become a target. She became close with her bodyguard, so much so, she fell in love with him. Jameson Scott Burne, aka Scotty, is a made man sworn to the Murphy clan in Boston. Saoirse was under his protection, and as the sister of the leader, she was off limits. After he got shot, he realized she was too good for his lifestyle and as hard as it was for him to do; he walked away, asking for someone else to be assigned to protect her. She was upset over this and asked her brother to arrange a marriage for her, which he did to a politician. The Russians lost most of their power in Boston and are desperate to gain it back, so they are trying to make a power play by forcing Saoirse to marry one of their leaders. Scotty hears this and goes into protective mode and is back on her protective detail. He is not liking that she is engaged to Corbin, a governor who plans to run for the White House, he is not liking him either. Saoirse knows what the deal is with Corbin and has accepted it, regardless if Scotty approves, likes it or not, he has no say in the matter. Or does he? Scotty broke her heart by leaving, so how could she ever trust him again? There is never a dull moment in this book, the story has a perfect balance of drama, angst, action, thrilling and suspenseful moments, emotional moments and steamy romance. This was my first book written by A.N. Stauber and consider me impressed, her writing, plotting and world building are fantastic and the same goes for character growth and development. I hope more of her book come to audio soon. Thank you for this amazing story and emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧 M.K. Blackwood and Jason Clarke were the perfect cast to bring these characters to life and did so with a complete understanding of who they were portraying, giving each a voice that was fitting and believable, accents and all. Blackwood aced it as Saoirse, grasping every aspect of her personality, from her insecurities to her fierceness, and all in between. Clarke nailed it as Scotty, a strong and determined alpha, who was not afraid to show his caring side and his Russian was great, too. Both were just as amazing performing the roles of the secondary characters, too. They set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the characters’ emotions and had you feeling each one. These two made a fantastic team, their voices and talent complemented each other and they were a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another amazing listen.   

Brilliant Casting & lovely story!

Guys. This was my first AN Stauber book and I was NOT disappointed. 💋 I will be going back for the rest of the series because I want ALL the stories from the family but this was one that kept me entranced the whole time I was listening.

AN wrote a beautiful, strongly willed, independent and intelligent FMC in Saoirse 🖤 I adored how her story played out and enjoyed seeing her sass so stinking much. MK Blackwood was a lovely narrator choice for this character!

Scotty… Jamie. Ugh. Where to begin. He’s a brilliant pitch black MMC. He will stop at nothing to Saoirse and I adore that. Sometimes I wanted to smack him upside the head for being a man, but what can you expect from a broody, Irish mafia body guard who literally grew up in the life?? AND Jason Clarke’s performance *chefs kiss* 😘 that man can growl all the dirty words with the best grumble.

I’m off to download the rest as soon as I possibly can! Kay. Byeeee ✌🏼

Aurally Delicious Dark Mafia Romance!

Fierce, stubborn, and strong Saoirse Murphy is the Irish mafia princess that foot soldier and bodyguard Jameson Scott "Scotty" Burne must keep at arms-length, both for her protection from the dark mafia world, but also from himself. Saoirse is forbidden, made for more than the likes of him. So he sends her away, breaking her heart and trust in process, a temptation he can't resist.

Only she doesn't stay away. Newly engaged to be married to another man, Saoirse becomes the target of the rival Russian bratva prince looking to solidify his hold over Boston. In her darkest hour of need, Saoirse's avenging angel Scotty finds her, claims her as his own, and she must ultimately decide if she can trust him to protect her heart again in the same way she trusts him to protect her body.

His Ruthless Queen is the third book in Author A.N. Stauber's Black Hearts dark mafia series. Stauber has written a gripping story full of chemistry, tension, action, and SPICE! I don't always read dark romance, or mafia romance, but thanks to Stauber, I am a convert now, especially after hearing M.K. Blackwood and Jason Clarke bring every nuanced emotion to Saoirse and Scotty.

Blackwood is new to me, but she hits that mark every. damn. time. Saoirse's fierceness and tenderness and insecurities and every nuanced emotion in between are beautifully voiced. I could have listened to this book in solo narration with Blackwood alone. Her Saoirse is one of my favorite femme voice actor performances of 2024 already.

Clarke's portrayal of a quintessential morally black MMC is wholly satisfying. We are treated to a growly Scotty, whose possessive "mine," "my wife," and touch her and die moments are everything we have come to expect from a Jason Clarke performance. But there was one scene in particular that had me deep in my feelings. And, his Russian language lines are ones I revisited over and over.

Performed in dual 1st person POV, both voice actors had multiple characters to perform, and their range and execution are impressive.

I look forward to reading Stauber's backlist, and listening to the audio versions as they are rolled out.

As always, please prioritize your mental health and check content warnings. But if everything is green, then this is a must listen.

Great Story

I love this series I have read all them that are currently out and cannot wait for the next book. I did read all of these first. I did just finish listening to it on audible and loved it! The narrators for this were perfect to me for these characters. I cannot wait to listen to the rest of the series now. I do recommend listening to this story!

Good mafia story

This is the first mafia story I’ve enjoyed. It’s not my typical genre so I was a bit skeptical as, in my opinion, the few mafia books I have read (even movies) are very soap opera style and over the top. This one has an actual story tied into it with a nice side of spice. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy a nod to Pride and Prejudice?! I love the environmental aspects of it too, and a cat named Frog! I was vegan for five years and it shows that either the author did their homework, or is/knows someone who is vegan. Speaking of homework, from what I was told from mafia lovers that the author did do their homework on the correct usage of names of the “mob bosses” - I do not know if “mob boss” is a technical term and is my own word it because it is a new world to me. I tell ya, I am into this story and now I’m curious about Irish mobs! MK Blackwood and Jason Clarke did a fantastic job narrating and bringing this story to life.

Enjoyable Listen

Saoirse was a tough FMC. She could hold her own and go toe to toe with anyone. And that's just what she did when it came to Jamie/Scotty. She took him for a ride and made him work for her love. There were so many twists, and turns to the story. So many secrets uncovered that changed the course of everyone's lives. The book was well written and the spice was good. I really enjoyed it and want to go back and listen to the previous books. I also loved the narrators!

I give it a 3🌶️, 4🎧and 4🌟overall.

4 - Scotty and Saoirse Forever Stars!!!

Her writing style is very natural and I was pulled into this story straight away. I enjoyed the world of the Murphy family and the character development of main and side players throughout. The plot and pacing were excellent. The story was exciting and suspenseful. I was on the edge of my seat at times while rooting for our MCs to get their HEA.

The narration was 5-star perfection. I usually prefer duet style narration, but in the hands of Jason Clarke and M.K. Blackwood, the dual narration did not detract at all from the listening experience. Jason's performance was fantastic . . . the way he breathed life into Scotty / Jamie was ALPHA perfection. M.K. Blackwood's performance was nuanced and beautiful in the way she captured all of Saoirse's facets and emotions. Bravo!

We have a few troupes here, all of which I love:

Mafia forbidden romance
Best Friend / Confidant
Body Guard /Protector
Second Chance Romance
FMCs Brother's employee
Made Man

Our hero, Jameson 'Scotty' Burne, has been Saoirse's body guard for years. He works for her Brother, Callum, who is head of the Murphy crime organization in Boston. After a particularly violent encounter, Scotty sends Saoirse away in an attempt to shield her from the dangers Mafia life. He doesn't believe he deserves her.

Saoirse is a strong willed FMC who is independent and self-possessed. As a successful architect, she has remained largely away from the inner working of her family's operations both legitimate and illegitimate. She's been in love with Scotty for a long time, but he won't act on their growing desire and attachment to one another. When he sends her away and ghosts her, she sees it as a complete rejection, a betrayal of their friendship.

Ultimately, they end up back in Boston orbiting each other again. You can feel the tension build between them as they try without success to avoid each other and deny their feelings. But he's got it bad for Saoirse and when danger looms, no one can protect her like he can. He's so OTT protective and I was there for every delicious second of it.

In Scotty's own words - Quote:

"I'd slit my own throat if it meant keeping her safe and doing that would shatter her. This need to protect her runs so deep within me that I can't even distinguish where it ends and where my own need to survive begins."

Also, I loved the family dynamics and the close bond between Saoirse and her brothers. This is a good mafia romance with a sometimes broody alpha hero who happens to be gooey on the inside for his Saoirse.

This Book 3 of the Black Hearts Series and I'll definitely continue with it. Thanks AN Stauber for giving us the wild ride that is the Murphy Family world!

Chef's Kiss

Absolutely loved every part of this book!! From the story to the narration perfection!! It is full of suspense, crime, love and hot as hell steaminess!

I was captivated listening to Saoirse's and Scotty's story I didn’t want it to end! AN Stauber you have me hooked to hear more and Jason Clarke and MK Blackwood OMG ...mic drop! You couldn't have chosen better!

Saoirse was the Southie Mafia princess from the Murphy clan and Scotty was her protection. Their love for each other ran deep but he fought at first to keep his distance from her thinking it’s what would be best, while breaking her heart. They were destined to be together, however, and fate happened all while battling with her being the target of an evil Russian Bratva prince who wanted to steal her away from her family.

“This isn’t you,” I say. “He doesn’t know you at all. And you let him flirt with another woman right in front of you. Is being with someone of power that important to you, Saoirse? You’d climb into bed with anyone who gives it to you?” She shoves at my chest. It’s a feeble attempt to get me out of her space. She’s not strong enough to keep me away. She’ll never be strong enough. “It doesn’t matter, Scotty. I don’t care what he does with other women.” “You should. It’s a scandal waiting to happen. Not to mention, you. Deserve. Better.”

A new Author and Narrators for me.

I'd never heard of either of these Narrators before, and I'd never read anything by A.N. Stauber, either - so I went in blind, not knowing what to expect.

Mafia romance is one of my absolute favourites, so I did go in with high hopes and I'm glad that I wasn't disappointed!

This is an excellent mafia romance. The third book in a series, but they are interconnected standalones so I didn't feel as though I missed anything from jumping in to book three.

Absolutely LOVED Saoirse's character. A total powerhouse woman, not afraid to speak her mind, she is complete sass from the very beginning.

Her and Scotty's story is absolutely *chefs kiss*

Mafia Princess and Mafia Bodyguard.. what could possibly go wrong, or right! 😏

Dual first person POVs throughout this action packed, spicy, hot as hell mafia romance.

You won't be disappointed.

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Great story plot

It isnt often when a great story accompanies such a romance book. It really let's you feel the characters. lots of heart throb moments. also let's not forget great fight scenes.