A review by abbythompson
The Devil You Know by Liz Carlyle
4.0
I have been waiting for Bentley's story since he was introduced! What an interesting, complex, fascinating character. I loved his contradictions - the ultimate bad boy with a heart of gold. His past trauma made sense of his later actions, as did his confusion and reluctance to understand what happened.
Pairing up Bentley with Freddie, who we met in Carlyle's first novel My False Heart was a stroke of linking genius. I loved seeing Freddie all grown up and standing up for herself. Her compassion and fears were genuinely motivated and consistent throughout Carlyle's novels.
I worry, though, that Carlyle is getting a little sloppy. The writer's tics were present and there was a lot more "telling" rather than "showing." A good example is the repeated explanation that Freddie is an orphan and so family and home are very important to her. I'm not sure we really needed Bentley to tell us that. It was also unclear if it was meant for the readers or as a personal realization for Bentley.
Anyways, in the end, the story was hot, steamy, sweet and fun.
Pairing up Bentley with Freddie, who we met in Carlyle's first novel My False Heart was a stroke of linking genius. I loved seeing Freddie all grown up and standing up for herself. Her compassion and fears were genuinely motivated and consistent throughout Carlyle's novels.
I worry, though, that Carlyle is getting a little sloppy. The writer's tics were present and there was a lot more "telling" rather than "showing." A good example is the repeated explanation that Freddie is an orphan and so family and home are very important to her. I'm not sure we really needed Bentley to tell us that. It was also unclear if it was meant for the readers or as a personal realization for Bentley.
Anyways, in the end, the story was hot, steamy, sweet and fun.