Idle hands are the Devil's workshop...
Temptation and seduction are the tricks of the Devil's trade, and when offered the chance to regain his wings by playing guardian angel, he's hell-bent on doing things his way...
Faith McFarland is in need of a miracle. So desperate to save her sick child, she's willing to make a deal with the Devil: steal a ring worn by Finn Payne, the bad-boy rockstar who long ago sold his soul for rock 'n roll. Temptation and seduction become necessary evils, yet Faith's salvation means Finn's damnation . . . because the ring is all that stands between him and Hell. Falling in love was never part of the bargain, but now that they've tasted heaven in each other's arms, can they convince the Devil to give up his due?
Devil Without A Cause is my first book by Terri Garey. I enjoyed this book even when I felt like I was missing clarifying back story. The Devil has been a recurring character in Garey’s previous Nikki Styx series and apparently he was such a hit that after Nikki’s series ended, the Devil carried on. There are enough references to the previous books and the Devil’s relationship with that heroine that sometimes I was frustrated. That’s only a good thing for Ms. Garey as now I’ll have to read those books as well. For fans of Sammy Devine, the Devil, his subplot in Devil Without a Cause moves his character arc by leaps and bounds. In fact, this Devil may very well have a cause by the end of this book. One of Ms. Garey’s biggest strengths is her characterization and reimagining of the Devil and his environs.
As for this book, I truly enjoyed it. Ms. Garey writes her characters with tenderness and understanding. She puts the heroine in an impossible situation and her struggle would make any parent take the offer the Devil promises. Our hero is equally complex. He’s a man desperate to keep this rock star life but, at the same time, he yearns to be loved for himself as opposed to the standard groupie one night stand. The lure of love and a family pushes him into decisions he can hardly believe he would have made merely days before. Finn and Faith are falling in love, even while they work towards betraying each other. While any reader of romance can see the ending coming, it is nevertheless a satisfying conclusion.
If this book is exemplary of Ms. Garey’s other books, she has found a fan in this reader. I have already encouraged several other readers to give her a try.
Devil Without a Cause
Terri Garey
Avon
May 2011
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