Review of The Devil You Know, by Sara Curran-Ross

The Devil You Know

“You take one step out of that door without me and you are in serious trouble.  Leave my side once and you are a dead woman.”

Christian Dalban is hired to protect Isabelle Mayer from the violent head of a mafia family who will stop at nothing to force her back into his bed.  But Christian is determined that she won’t find out why he is the only man capable of succeeding where others have failed.  If she knew the reason she would never trust him with her life nor would he blame her.  But as their relationship develops into a passionate sexual encounter Christian realises that he is not the only one keeping a secret that could threaten both of their lives... 

Sara jumps straight in to the action, setting up emotions and the scene clearly. Christian’s sadism and Isabelle’s hatred are blatant, and the shifting between the two flows smoothly, which is no mean feat. I was swiftly drawn in to this tale of damsel and knight.

The seemingly chaotic writing takes some getting used to, although it is fitting to both Christian and Isabelle. They are strong characters, with equally strong emotions, not all totally expected. Isabelle’s fear and adrenalin are palpable, her strength endless, and admirable. Christian’s macho appearance is underlined by sweetness, as he finds himself falling for the woman he’s supposed to protect. 

The myriad of interesting little twists and surprises, kept me guessing right until the end. Sara successfully built tension, and the story reached its climax superbly.

It takes talent to bring such an intricate story in to a single novel; Sara has done a fantastic job with compacting it without allowing any of the events to lose their importance.

All emotions are clear, and I felt each of them as I immersed myself in this story.

This is fascinatingly styled, though I do question the job of the editor, as a few words were missed or repeated.

The Devil You Know has one of the most unexpected twists I have ever read; it is a story I didn’t want to put down, or finish. 

Also keep an eye out for my interview and giveaway with Sara to come next week!