Damian Tate. One look into his sad green eyes and I was hooked. I wanted to be the one to make him laugh, to make him smile. I hadn’t expected him to be the one to make me blush, to make me hot…to make me fall in love. He was my first kiss, my first love, my first everything. I wanted forever with him, but life got in the way.He enlisted, I went to college, and for years we were never in the … never in the same place long enough to pick up where we left off.
Thirteen years after he left, tragedy brings him home. The stoic boy I fell in love with grew into a quiet, dangerous and wildly sexy man. He still tugs on all the right strings for me, but he seems determined to keep me at arm’s-length.
However, when trouble comes knocking at my door, he is the one to put himself between that trouble and me.
Spending time with him might drive me insane, or it might be our second chance at first love.
Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
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THE DEVIL YOU KNOW was another second chance romance from L.A. Fiore and she hit it out of the ballpark!! It was a sweeping tale of love that spanned more than a decade and I was immediately enamored and captivated with the story of its characters.
“I’ve waited for you for half of my life. I want a lifetime with you.”
I fell in love at first read with Damien. He was first introduced as a sweet five year old boy whose father ended up abandoning him, leaving destruction in his wake. His mother became abusive and he became a little lost. She had so much anger and hatred inside and pushed it all on poor Damien’s shoulders. Therein lies the seed that made him doubt his own self-worth. Luckily, at the age of 16, he becomes best friends with Cam and through this friendship he meets Thea, Cam’s twin sister. It was almost love at first sight for them. Initially intending to enlist in the army, as his relationship with Thea deepened and grew, he started to envision their future together. That is until his mom reared her ugly head, spewed her nastiness, and had him doubting all over again. Those doubts separated the young lovers for almost 15 years!!
There was a passage in the book that not only tells of the great love between Damien and Thea, but beautifully sums up how powerfully poignant their story really is.
“I’ve waited a long time for you and now that I finally have you I will move Heaven and Earth to keep you right where I’ve always wanted you, at my side. I will walk in the rain so you stay dry, I will forgo food so you can eat, I will take the pain so you won’t feel any and I will absolutely step in front of danger to keep you safe.”
Tears rolled down my cheeks and he wiped them away. “I’ve waited a long time for you too, so let’s get an umbrella big enough for two, let’s plant a garden so we always have food, let’s share the pain because we have each other to seek comfort in and let’s just avoid danger because living a life without you would be worse than death.”
I hope the author isn’t too upset that I revealed this portion because I just couldn’t help it. I need you to truly understand how incredibly amazing this story is. It blends romance, family, friendship, and even a bit of a murder mystery. Each character remained relevant and the strength of their connections were palpable. I want an Anton in my life too!! Damien’s POV gave this story a special deepness and gravity yet there were so many lighthearted moments that things didn’t turn dour or dark. In all honesty, love didn’t just make an appearance in this book, it was this story’s statement. It didn’t languish and it didn’t die. It didn’t only survive, it prevailed and the evidence was in the way that Damien and Thea found their way back to one another and finally captured their own version of a happy ending.
Devil You Know (Lost Boys Book 1) by L. A. Fiore was indeed a page-turner. I found the novel wasn’t only a Romance Thriller; it was also a coming of age story. Every chapter pulled at my heartstrings. I found myself rooting for Damian and Thea throughout the novel. The mysteries that unfolded kept me guessing right up until the very end. Five Stars!
Send me to hell if Damian is a devil.
I more than loved this book. I floved this book. All the characters. Every little morsel. I only have two complaints – when it was over and about the last 10% felt just a bit rushed.
Damian. Oh poor, sweet, damaged Damian. The beginning of this book is a young love story and the sweet heartache that comes with it. But this grew so much more in plot. I NEED plot with my porn. He was such a wonderful character…the things he did for Thea. And Thea, what a bada$$ angel she is. She was such light in his life, and by reading her, mine as well.
This book was so full of angst, and I am a huge fan of angst. Put my heart through the ringer but put it back together in the end. This did that for me. And it was a phenomenally intriguing story that was so much more than romance.
I read A LOT of books so some of them I read and then I can never remember what they’re about. This is not and will not be one.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for Stephanie’s Book Reports.
This is the first book in L.A. Fiore’s Lost Boys Series.
One look at Damian Tate and Thea was a goner. The same can be said for Damian. Thea wanted to be the one to make him laugh. To make his sad green eyes spark with laughter and life. He was Thea’s first love, first kiss, first everything. She wants forever but life gets in the way.
Damian enlists in the army and Thea goes to college. They were never in the same place for every long and thirteen years pass. Tragedy bring Damian home and he’s determined to keep Thea at arms length. But, when danger come knocking at Thea’s door Damien is the one to out himself between her and trouble. Spending time with Damian might might drive Thea insane or it could be their second chance at love.
Oh my goodness!!!! Why am I just now read a L.A. Fiore book. I loved this book. It kept me on my toes and I loved the second chance aspect chance of it all. I fell so hard for Damian. He has had a horrible childhood. To say his mom is the most evil person to him ever is probably an understatement. It broke my heart. She’s constantly telling him he’s worthless and he’s never known a true family or love until Cam and Thea come along. The attraction between the two is instant and he is brought into their family just like he’s always been one of them. Their ready to have their chance. Making plans for graduation and suddenly the most manipulative evil woman in he world ruins it all. I could have thrown my kindle io against the wall several times. I’m telling you Damien’s mom will have you spitting bad words for sure. This is a story of true love at its finest. It’s true love never dies no matter how hard you try to push it away or forgot about the other person.
You do not want to miss Damian and Thea’s story. It’s absolutely amazing and has some pretty intense suspense moments. I absolutely can’t wait for the next book in this series.
“She was a beauty and I was sin.”
Another heart-wrenching, mind-bending, adrenaline rush addition to my L.A. Fiore collection of masterpieces. I might as well buy a bookcase just for her books, there hasn’t been one yet that I didn’t love. She’s a favored auto-click author for me at this point. She never fails to take me through every emotion in a single book. She doesn’t just give it away either, she makes me work for it. She spreads clues and secrets throughout, weaving a trail of suspense that keeps me in it’s clutches. She can make me laugh, cry, rage, melt and end up with a smile on my face… every single time.
Damian is broken. My favorite kind of bad boy. Full of pain and demons that rule his world. But in spite of the devil on his back, he is capable of love. He loves fiercely, but he feels unworthy to receive it. He’s heard about his unworthiness so much that he’s bought in to it. Choosing to deny himself rather than to claim what he truly desires… her.
Thea is perfection. She’s adorable, sweet, funny and fierce. She loves hard and laughs loud. She’s my new girl crush. I want to join her on girls night, and on family dinner night. I envy her the amazing yet unusual collection of blood and adopted family that she collects like stray puppies. I’m not the only one that can’t resist her.
Damian and Thea met and fell in love when she was only seventeen years old. They wanted forever, but life had different plans for them. It was a struggle for them, and me, as obstacle after obstacle kept preventing them from being together. My heart broke time and again as events played out over the years, causing pain for them, and for me. I became so invested, feeling like part of their inner circle as they shared their thoughts and feelings with me as I read. And let me tell you, Damian thinks a whole lot more than he speaks. Every single word is a treasure.
“I had been devastated when Damian had left at eighteen, but he wouldn’t be the man he was now if he hadn’t gone.”
Yeah, he sure did grow up. In more ways than one. He’s always been dark, but now he’s even darker. His eyes have always been sad, but now they’re cold. He has even more secrets that he keeps hidden. His years in the military have changed him. But when Damian and Thea are together, the spark is still there. They still want each other. Will they finally give in to it? Is the time finally right? Or will they keep circling each other, and their feelings, again and again? Will the passion consume them or will they give in to it?
What? You expect me to give you the answers to those questions? Hell no! You need to read this masterpiece for yourself. But I’ll give you a few treats…
“He was built like he had been airbrushed to perfection.”
And… “During the harder parts of our separation I had contacted Yankee Candle hoping they could take his scent from a t-shirt of his I had and turn it into a candle. My very own Damian Tate scented candle.”
Yeah, you guessed it, Thea is not the only one who felt like, “I might need more than a fan, maybe an ice suit.” Damian is the only addiction stronger than her love for sweets and coffee. And trust me when I tell you that after you read Devil You Know, you’ll feel the same.
I’m overjoyed that while this amazing read is a standalone, it is part of a series. There are more extremely sexy ‘Lost Boys’ that you will be panting over once you meet them in this book. I can’t wait to spend more time with bad boy Anton…sigh. The line forms here…
4 devilish stars!!
This is the first book of the “Lost Boys” series. It can be read as a stand alone. But after all these kick ass characters I can’t wait to read more!!
This was a love story that started as youngsters and continued to adults. From the beginning you know Damian and Thea were meant to be. But the path they had to follow to keep finding each other was heartbreaking at times. Though I loved that we went through the entire journey with them.
Damian had a very rough childhood and when he became friends with Cam his whole world changed.
Thea grew up in an incredibly happy home and when her brother brought home his new friends, her whole life shifted.
I absolutely loved this story. The plot was perfect and all the twist and turns were amazing. My only issue is some parts seemed to lag a bit and the tension that lasted for quite a long time was a little irritating. But the last fourth of the book made up for it all! The characters in this book are what make it. I feel like they are all my people. I can’t wait to read the next book and every one after that.
Damian is my favorite kind of book boyfriend!! Quiet, powerful, insanely romantic, even if he was a man of few words. He and Thea’s story slithered into my heart and left me powerless to put them down for even a second. My heart heart at every missed chance, every time they walked away, all the danger surrounding them keeping them from really taking the plunge…so much time passed and it seemed like it just was never the right time. This story wound around me like not many books can and I fell in love with all of the characters along my journey and this is an absolute must read series!! My tears, my smiles, my frustration, my swoons, and my flutters were all exercised quite frequently throughout and I cannot wait to dig in to Anton’s story next!!
~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog
L.A Fiore never fails to bring me loads of emotions in her books and she did just that in this book! It was beautiful and I cried twice. (That’s not normal but it is with her books).
Ah to start with I loved everything, this book was amazing, I fell in love with it and I love L.A. Fiore’s writing and it just flows beautifully and makes me feel things! Oh, the feels! I really loved Thea just her whole attitude made me smile, and how she loved food, I think her reaction to food is one of my favourite things in this it makes me laugh how she tries and tries to cook and bake and it just doesn’t happen when she’s younger and it finally does when she is older. It was so cute and adorable. I loved her sarcasm and how she would make up stories and jokes and her relationships with the other characters in the book I loved and how they all cared for each other and they fitted in like a family. I really loved all the scenes and how they blended with each other. Beautiful.
Damian, it was so refreshing to see a male character, who although had a bad childhood did NOT use it as an excuse to be a doosh bag. Instead, he was like the opposite and he was amazing, we see him through various points of his life, and we see him at 17 as well as later on in life. It was so interesting watching him change and at 17 how restraint he was with Thea when he loved her, and yet it was exactly the same when it came to the present but that was for a whole different reason. I loved how it showed how much he cared for Thea and her family. It was lovely and amazing, one of my favourite parts of the book is seeing him interact with Thea, Cam and Rosaline and how he just fits in so well with them as a family.
Their relationship was quite funny although they both knew they wanted to be together at times Damian would push her away because he didn’t want to lose focus and some harm may come to her, which was so sweet and yet irritating when he would become silence because of this. But I love how they eventually open up to each other and how they both worked together. I am a sucker for romance like this and I would read it over and over and over. It was just perfectly amazing.
I feel like Cam needs a mention he is Thea’s sister and friends with Damian, and although the story had brother’s best friend thing, it wasn’t brought up. It never felt like that, it was very open and it was the fact they were all friends rather than just one-sided. So I did love that too. Cam is so sweet to his sister and Damian there’s a scene near the end that is absolutely one of my favourite scenes and it involves protective big brother mode. I loved his attitude and how much he cares about everything.
I do have to mention I LOVED the mention of the men from the Beautifully series I loved it, it was nice seeing and hearing their names again.
I loved the plot I don’t really want to go into it because I don’t want to spoil it but it was amazing, like not just the romance but the other thing. I liked how they both interlinked with each other and it worked how the events. As I say I loved this book so much and I honestly just want to read it again and again and again it was just perfect.
I just don’t know about this one. I really wanted to love it and the beginning was good. I liked how Thea and Damien became friends and how that friendship turned into love. It was great seeing how easily Thea and Cam’s parents took in Damien and made him a part of their family. It was sweet and beautiful. Once he left and years had passed it kinda fell off for me. I liked that Damien came back and Thea was still very much in love with him after his time in the military. But somehow the story kinda went all over the place for me and it felt like something was missing. I liked the suspense part even though it was obvious, at least to me, from the beginning who the dirty cop was. But I wanted more from Damien and Thea’s relationship. I can’t quite put my finger on it. But regardless, I started to lose interest.
Devil You Know was a decent start to this series because I’m really excited to get Anton’s book because I really loved him, Razor, and Cam.
This book was so amazing!! If I could give it more than 5 stars I would, certainly very much deserved in my humble opinion. I didn’t want it to end, and my only “complaint” if you can call it that is the wait for next book. This is one I will most certainly read again, and again, Thank you L.A. Fiore for creating the magic that you do!!
***5 ‘Definitely a Trigger’ Stars***
This book sent me on an emotional roller coaster ride, but not in the way I expected, or at least not fully. I got a well rounded story of not only two young people falling in love, making decisions that tore them apart and then slowly, sometimes frustratingly so, coming back together and finding that the love they felt as teenagers was timeless, but also of a group of people who became a family by choice and whose bonds only grow stronger as time progresses.
Damian has fended for himself since he was a young child as he had to bear the brunt of a cruel, twisted and obsessive mind, which caused him to keep to himself even as the anger from the unjust treatment grew steadily inside him. But one kind gesture changes his entire world. God, my heart hurt for Damian to see what he went through, and how he survived, was brutal, but through strength of will and a little help from outside sources he didn’t fall into the darkness. Instead he came out of it with a heart so big that he doesn’t always know what to do with it. I loved his over protective smexy tall dark silent and broody alpha ways, though there were many times I wanted to Gibbs smack the man for not speaking up when he needed to.
Thea has always been surrounded by a loving and caring family. She tends to follow her gut and heart over her mind and has a way of getting under a person’s skin and into their hearts without either of them realizing it. I loved Thea. She’s quirky and has a heart of gold. I loved her quirk, verbal vomiting because there was actually a point to it. She is a tough little cookie and had no problem speaking her mind when necessary.
Damian and Thea’s relationship brought out all the feels because we got to experience everything as they happened from start to finish and it made it so easy to continue to root for them to get over themselves and have their HEA, and believe me both of them put me through the ringer where I had to fight the urge to toss my Kindle in the freezer a few times. But what was clear was their hearts were still connected, but their minds needed to catch up. Thankfully, they figure it and prove why they are perfect together. Thea’s outgoing nature balanced out Damian’s much more reserved one, but they were perfectly matched when it came to wanting to protect and take care those they call their own.
The writing, as always, was engaging and the story was well paced. The mystery/suspense storyline was a bit of a surprise, but done well and kept me guessing until the very end. But what I loved the most were Thea and Damian’s very diverse “family”. Each one was well written and can’t wait to get to know them all better as the series progresses.
~ Copy provided by The Next Step PR ~
Holy Cow!!!! This book was amazing. I truly had everything a 5 star read should have.
If you are looking for an epic and poignant love story that spans over time but also a story filled with mystery, intrigue, suspense and twists and turns that you won’t see coming, then you have to pick up L.A. Fiore latest release…..Devil You Know.
This story spans a long period of time and we get to watch the characters grow up before our eyes. I know what are thinking…great this story is going to drag and be long. Well I will tell you this is on the longer side, but it at no time ever drags. This story will sweep you off your feet. You won’t be able to read it fast enough. I was so captivated with this story and I felt like I was a part of these characters lives. I felt what they were feeling. That is a testament to this authors writing skill and ability. I have been a fan of L.A. Fiore since I read the Beautifully Damaged series and I will continue to read her books.
Devil You Know is the first book in her newest Lost Boys Series and I have to say she is off to a wonderful start!!! This book was truly a great read and I honestly don’t think my review can do it justice. As always her writing was flawless and effortless. This story will have you feeling all of your emotions. I cried, laughed, swooned, yell and got mad, but overall I truly felt the love. And not only between Damian and Thea, but with all the characters. I loved that the author showed us that you can be in someone’s family even if you aren’t blood related. This story is told from Dual POV but we got an overwhelming amount of Thea’s POV. I did wish later in the book that we would’ve gotten more of Damian’s POV. I wanted to know his thoughts and feelings when it came to certain parts of the story.
I won’t be talking about this storyline in this book, because I think you need to experience the love story between Damian and Thea for yourself, but also I don’t want to spoil any of the mystery and intrigue that this book is full of.
I loved all the characters we met in this story. I am truly excited to see where she takes this series and the next book to come out. I loved that she gave us some cameo’s from her other books. They happened to be from my favorite book of this authors so it was so cool to see them.
So if you are a fan of L.A. Fiore’s you don’t want to miss this book. If you are a fan of a book that will tap every one of your emotions and is filled with mystery and suspense and a love story that spans over time…..then you NEED to read this book!!!! One for my 2017 Best Reads list!!!
5/5 STARS
*BRB…. I just have to re-read the last chapter AND Epilogue again to get my last fix of DamianCavemanAlphaMaleHottie*
*****
Where have you been all this time, L.A. Fiore?
No. Let me rephrase this…
Where have I been living all this time, without knowing nothing about your books?
Well, DEVIL YOU KNOW was my first book of this author and I know two things:
It will not be my last of hers
And definitely it will be the first of all the books she plans on writing in the series.
But…. Back to this book.
My review will probably suck compare with all the great ones that have already been shared here (my English sucks a little so excuse me), so I will simply say why I LOVED this story so much.
L.A. Fiore’s writing is just perfect.
When each page of a book has you enjoying so much, wanting so much to know what’s coming in the next, FEELING EVERY MINUTE with Damian and Thea, like YOU are the one who’s’ falling in love, who’s hurting, who’s struggling, hoping, getting frustrated, or hot, etc., it really means the author knows her job!
Romance genre is so full of “empty” books… I’m a huge fan of Adult Romance, but I’m also very demanding, I put the bar very high, because, of course I love the steamy stuff, but if I don’t get a solid plot, consistency and characters I completely connect with, the sex part is useless, and if you try to wrap a bunch of steamy scenes (even the hottest ones) with some action stuff, it doesn’t matter, I won’t like the book. I’m saying this because I’ve been very disappointed lately picking some books, because the blurb looked so great, and rating where really high. And besides the explicit sex description, they really lacked of consistency and were full of clichés.
But again, reading is a very personal and subjective experience
So, what did I love about DEVIL YOU KNOW? Everything:
– The characters: You just cannot NOT fall in love with Damian. I mean, I was totally in love with him by 4% of the book. His childhood, his silence, his big heart, his strength, his loyalty, his love for Thea…
And Thea…. She is so smart and funny, brave, honest… and she cannot bake at all.
Damian and Thea are so PERFECT together, and for each other… They are so different, yet, they just fall for each other. Damian is horribly quite. And Thea is all verbal and mental diarrhea. He’s dark, when Thea is like a sunlight in his darkness. She is so funny, and even if Damian isn’t a clown, he LOVES her humor. He rarely smiles… but when he does….Damn….
– The importance of Family: and I’m not talking about the blood related one, but the one you CHOOSE, or the family who chooses you. They are so many characters here to love, the father, the mother, the brother, the girlfriends, the neighbors, Razor AND ANTOOOOOOOON.
– Yes I’ve already said it, but…. The writing!!!!: fabulous, from the first page. I’ve never got bored, I’ve always FELT. EACH.FEELING, bad or good, sad or happy, a total rollercoaster, till the end. And the best part: this book NEVER felt rushed, it has the PERFECT length, the perfect pace, a double POV (I’m a fan of double POV, and of course of male POV).
And what about the plot? There are tons of romance books out there with “similar” plots: danger lurking, alpha male wanting to protect the female he lusts/loves, very bad people with very bad intentions, mafia plots, blablabla… But DEVIL YOU KNOW is a wonderful mix of romance, suspense, angst and humor.
I’m gabbling so I’ll just say why you must grab this book: you’ll feel a lot of emotions. The deep ones.
You’ll go from sadness to laughs, tenderness, passion, tears, angst, devastation, hope, loss, anger, understanding, regret, and every time, you’ll be bracing for something more to happen, but you’ll always have this little hope whispering in your head.
And when you’ll close the book, you’ll be left waiting for more, and for the story of another character…. One in particular…. Which is fantastic, since it means L.A. Fiore did an excellent job, but it sucks too, because you’ll have to wait months until her next release.
So my advice? Grab A DEVIL YOU KNOW, enjoy it fully, and to make the wait more “bearable”, just read her previous books.
That’s what I’m going to do.
And of course, as a French/Spanish reader, I really hope her books will get translated one day (**winks to French/Spanish Publishers**)
L.a.Fiore did it again with an intriguing story full of mystery, heartbreak and romance. Damian is a quiet man lost and struggling to find his way in life. His home if you could call it that, growing up was heartbreaking. Damian did not know what it felt like to be loved. You can live in a house with your family, a home is full of love and laughter. Thea is a beautiful strong woman full of determination and love. Thea grew up in a wonderful home with lots of love and laughter. She is the type to want to save all the strays and wounded animals. She sees that in Damian, the pain and longing for a family. It started out just wanting to save him and it grew to be so much more. They were two souls drawn together