I’ve seen The Devil You Know compared to Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick, a comparison I don’t think is fair because The Devil You Know is, to me, a much richer narrative. Both deal with a trip and a kidnapping. But where Black Ice was implausible and problematic, The Devil You Know takes its characters and their intentions seriously, stretching them to the limits and breaking point.
Where The Devil You Know shines is in Arcadia’s character building. She’s smart and sensible, albeit doing something for once in her life that’s a little risky and scary, and the plot doesn’t sacrifice this aspect of her characterisation for the sake of moving things along. Nor does it require any twisting of Noah and Matt’s characters for the story to end as it does. This is in stark contrast to Black Ice which required a suspension of disbelief that could have been used to build a bridge.
It’s a sensual novel, taking its time to get to the action with plenty of sexual tension along the way, vivid writing and rich story telling. It doesn’t skimp on the details although readers who want a faster paced story, may find themselves getting restless waiting for the action.
I loved Arcadia and Noah’s relationship the most. That was my ship, and I thought the suspense regarding his character was really well done. Those two were on fire! I mean. Like, douse them with a hose or something, guys. Doller knows how to write her delicious smut, if ever I saw it.
It’s the writing and dialogue that is so on point. Arcadia is a teenager but her narrative imparts a lot of wisdom that I wish I’d had at her age. A no-nonsense approach to sexism and sex that left me applauding her at every turn. Rather like a proud mother hen, I couldn’t help but cluck with happiness every time she put a thoughtless boy in his place.
Yet it’s also my only complaint about the book. Sometimes it felt a lot like Arcadia was lecturing. A character built to say all the right things and to think all the good feminist thoughts. This didn’t last, it was just a passing fancy of mine. For the most part she felt older than her eighteen years but that would be good character building, considering her background.
Okay, I lied, I have one other complaint. It was simply too easy to guess who the bad guy was. And it wasn’t a small suspicion either. It was basically, “This is the bad guy.” And I knew it the whole way through. I wish that aspect had been a little less obvious. A little more clouded.
I admit that when it got to the scary, intense times, I did a little bit of skipping. It was so tense for me that it was hard to read. I kept freaking out. Let’s just say it was a really difficult portion of the book for me to delve into.
The book is romantic without sacrificing its dignity to the realm of implausibility. It is finely crafted and sexy as hell. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think you will too.
Eileen
I’ve had my hesitations about this book but you make me want to give it a go! Thank you 😀
Kat Kennedy
Yeah, I’m still hesitant to recommend the book because I know it was a three star read for a lot of people. But things between Arcadia and Noah are so damn hot together that I kind of want everyone to read and enjoy it!
Ilex
I won a signed copy of this book, and was a little worried when I read the jacket flap (yikes! it sounds dark). So thanks for this review, Kat — you’ve made me really eager to dive into this soon! Sexy as hell I can go for. 😉
Kat Kennedy
I hope you love it! Let me know what you think!
Carina Olsen
Gorgeous review Kat 😀 I’m so glad you liked this book. You are making it seem amazing, sigh. Now I want it too, lol 🙂 Yay for great characters. And awesome romance? Yes please 🙂 Thank you for sharing your thoughts about it. <3
Kat Kennedy
Hello darling! Thank you so much for commenting! You’re most certainly welcome! Love reading your comments.
Julia Snyder
What a great review! I find the best reads through reviews! I am reading a series called Alexandra’s Order, which I found through a great review and it’s living up to the hype for sure. It’s by Emilia Rutigliano for anyone looking for a great series.