Have you ever had a desperation that comes with wanting something so badly that you’re willing to do anything to get it? A need that has sent you to wish for something you know is out of your reach but you have an overwhelming urge to try for it anyway? How much is a soul worth?
Samantha Cooper is desperate. Alexandria Bellefleur’s latest novel, The Devil She Knows, delves into the the question What will people do for love?
A pastry chef with an utterly hellish boss, Samantha could only think about spending the rest of her life with the love of her life, Hannah.
In the space of a breath, Samantha was single and homeless. Instead od a yes, Hannah broke up with her and told her she had three days to move out of the New York apartment they shared.
So riding the elevator up to the apartment she lived in for what could be the last time, Samantha was desperate.
Desperate to find a way to make Hannah come back to her. To make Hannah love her again. To be what Hannah wanted in a partner.
She wanted to win Hannah back.
That amount of desperation calls all sorts of creatures. And it called Daphne.
Daphne was not the typical cross-road demon. Blonde hair and bubble gum pink outfit, she was more Barbie than minion of hell.
Still she makes Samantha a deal: six wishes in exchange for her soul.
And Samantha accepts.
This book…
I love everything Alexandria Bellefleur does and this one is no exception. After her last book, Truly, Madly, Deeply where the spicy scenes were habanero hot, this one is surprisingly chaste. Despite the hellish connotations.
This is a story of Samantha Cooper. Sweet, kind, Samantha who came from Louisiana to the Big Apple to find out who she was and to bake. Samantha who is friendly to everyone, owns two cats that she loves fiercely, and a strong moral upbringing from her parents.
The perfect soul to add to Hell’s banks.
As with every wish that has ever been hellishly granted, they take a turn and Sam must make another wish to reach for what she wants; Hannah.
As the wishes are cast, it begins to look increasingly that it’s not Sam that was the problem in their relationship and to be what Hannah truly wants, is to lose everything that Sam truly is.
Instead of a romance beginning and growing, something that Bellefluer is so extremely good at doing, this is a story of being true to oneself. To love yourself before you can love others. With each twist of the wish granted, Sam never loses herself. She is horrified at what she becomes in these wishes. One of my favorite and most surprising parts of this book was when Samantha backs out of a wish, not because it’s not going as she wanted it to, but because the thought that she would abandon one of her precious cats was enough to cry shenanigans without thinking about what she was leaving behind. The thought of her life without her beloved pet was not a life she wanted. Even when it seemed as if the rest of it was perfect.
Samantha’s life with Hannah is fool’s gold. Shiny and bright on the outside but dull within.
Each moment that brings her closer to that realization also brings her closer to her connection with the frustrating demon, Daphne.
The romance is slow because Sam needs to fix herself before she can understand what Daphne is really doing. But the ending is the payoff. Perfectly sweet and just devilish, I was cheering for our two protagonists and listening to it nonstop just to find out how it ended.
The one surprise is there was a new narrator! I was so used to hearing Lauren Sweet reading Bellefleur’s books that the new voice of Ellie Gossage was a shock. But she did wonderfully. As well and engaging as Lauren’s past readings. Ellie’s whiskey voice for Daphne was, wow. Just chef’s kiss. Perfect. I look forward to hearing her again and hope she’s reading for Bellefleur’s newest book Playing for Keeps.
Yet another brilliant work for Alexandria Bellefleur. So far, nothing I’ve read from her has let me down and I would highly recommend this to the sapphic readers out there.
As a reminder, you can find both of these books through this month’s spotlighted indie bookshop, The Plot Twist. Links, as always, are in the titles.
This weekend is supposed to be artic in the U.S. so bundle up, stay indoors, and relax. Make a hot chocolate this weekend, and curl up with a good book.
Mouse's Reading Nook 