💔 Mobsters, Twins, & A Marriage Built on Lies?!

 

Why Shattered Hearts by Renee Parker Wrecked Me (and Why You’ll Thank It for the Trauma)

👀 Y’all. Let’s talk about a book that gripped my soul like a mob boss in a back alley:

Shattered Hearts (Irish Kings Book One) by Renee Parker.

💣 This book didn’t just break my heart—it straight-up put a hit out on it.

Let me set the scene:

🖤 Riley Brennan is living her quiet, post-mob life, trying real hard to avoid the family drama.

But when her twin sister Harper disappears suddenly (uh… suspicious much? 😳), Riley’s dragged back into the chaos she swore she’d never return to.

Only this time…

👯‍♀️ She has to pretend to be Harper.

💍 Marry Harper’s mob fiancé, Finn Gallagher.

🔪 Survive in a world of rival families, secrets, and grief thick enough to suffocate you.

AND THAT’S JUST THE FIRST FEW CHAPTERS. 😮‍💨

⚔️ Let’s talk Finn Gallagher… aka Broody McTrauma

This man is a whole problem wrapped in muscles and Catholic guilt.

He’s still mourning his first wife (RIP Brianne 💐), and now he’s forced to marry Harper—except it’s not Harper. It’s Riley, wearing her sister’s name.

Finn is cold, calculating, emotionally constipated—until Riley starts melting the ice around his shattered heart.

And let me tell you, when that tension snaps around the 50% mark?

🔥🔥🔥

It’s all glances that last too long, walls crumbling, and that one scene where you’ll want to scream into your pillow because it’s so INTENSE.

(Yes, I paused and had a full-blown emotional snack break. 🍫🫠)

🧨 What Makes Shattered Hearts So Dang Addictive?

• ☠️ Twin swap drama + forced marriage = elite chaos

• ❤️‍🔥 Slow-burn tension that’ll curl your toes

• 🩸 Mob politics with actual stakes (and body counts)

• 🧠 Characters with more trauma than a soap opera on steroids

• ✍️ Writing that feels like velvet and gunpowder

Honestly, Parker knows how to write characters that feel raw. Riley is messy and vulnerable, doing her best not to drown in a life she didn’t choose. And Finn? That man is grief walking on two legs—and somehow still swoon-worthy. 🥵

📚 Final Thoughts from a Wrecked Book Blogger

Would I fake my identity, marry a grieving Irish mobster, and risk my life for a second chance at love?

…no comment. 👀

But would I recommend Shattered Hearts to anyone who loves morally grey men, stolen identities, and the kind of angst that makes you question your own emotional stability?

💯 YES. YES. YES.

📖 Read This If You Love:

✨ The Sweetest Oblivion

🔥 Ruthless People

💔 Still Beating

💍 Marriage of Convenience x Mafia Edition

⭐ Rating: 4.5/5 Shattered Feels

💋 Steam: Slow burn, emotionally charged, tension-packed

🛑 Content: Death, grief, deception, emotional whiplash

Drop a comment if you’ve read it! 👇

Or tell me which mafia romance made you emotionally unstable—I’m building a support group. 🫶📚🔫

#BookReview #IrishKings #ShatteredHearts #MafiaRomance #EnemiesToLovers #BetweenTheCoversBlog #KindleUnlimitedFinds #BookTokRecs #SwoonOrDie

Soooo… Who Let Me Be an Author? 😅📚

Okay, serious question.

Who handed me a keyboard and said, “Yes, this chaotic goblin of a human should absolutely write about love, trauma, and morally questionable hotties.”

Because let’s be real — I just cried over a fictional character I made up, haven’t cooked in a week, and recently Googled “how to dispose of a body in a fantasy realm” for "research." 🙃🔪✨

Anyway, HI. If you’re new here:

I’m Ivy Cotter, and I write books full of emotionally constipated bad boys, unhinged heroines, and a very unhealthy amount of dramatic tension.

If you're not new here... first of all, ily. Second, why are you still here after Chapter 16? 😳

Here's what I wanna know:

Drop an emote below that best describes your current energy as a reader:

💀 = I’m emotionally destroyed and you’re to blame

🔥 = Still recovering from that last spicy chapter

👀 = I just got here and I’m suspicious of everyone

🧠 = I’m trying to figure out the plot twist and my brain hurts

😈 = I would fight God for my fictional man/woman/monster

OR tell me what kind of character you're absolutely obsessed with right now — bonus points if you make it weird. I want the “grumpy warlock who secretly bakes muffins” level of niche, please.

---

P.S. If you're reading this and haven’t checked out my latest chapters on REAM, here's your gentle, lovingly unhinged nudge:

Go read them. Or reread them. Or scream about them with me in the comments. I LIVE FOR THE CHAOS. 🖤

#DarkRomance #IndieAuthorLife #BookWormProblems #AuthorBrain #SpicyReadsOnly #ReadersUnite

📚✨🎉REAM RAID📚✨🎉

 📣 FREE BOOK ALERT! 🎉✨

Ream Raid is coming… and I'm raiding your TBR in the best way.

Hey book lovers! 💕📚

I’m beyond excited to share that DREAMCATCHER will be FREE on Ream during the Ream Raid promo, running from July 4–11, 2025! 🎆🎁

That’s right — you can grab my book (and a ton of others!) either completely free or available to followers only. It’s the perfect time to fall into a new story, binge something bold, or discover your next favorite author 🖤🔍📖

💥 Don’t sleep on it — this is a one-week-only deal!

✨ Grab your freebies, show some love, and stuff that digital shelf like it's a bookish Black Friday.

🔗 Click here to browse them all

Happy raiding, happy reading, and as always… thank you for being the best part of this journey. 💌🌙