Is love worth the price of your soul?
The Devil She Knows
Paranormal Romance
Berkley
October 21, 2025
Paperback, Ebook, Audiobook
336
A down-on-her-luck woman makes a deal with a crafty demon to win back her ex-girlfriend after a proposal gone awry, only to discover the girl of her dreams might be the devil she knows, from nationally bestselling author Alexandria Bellefleur. Samantha Cooper is having a day from hell. In less than 24 hours, her life has unraveled, leaving her single and with nowhere to live. Adding insult to injury, she’s trapped in an elevator with a gorgeous woman claiming to be a demon. Daphne is not at all what Samantha expected from someone claiming to be an evil supernatural entity. She’s pretty, witty, dressed in pink, and smells nice. And she’s here to offer Samantha a deal she can’t refuse. Six wishes in exchange for one tiny trade—Samantha’s soul. There’s a glaring loophole in their contract, one Samantha fully intends to exploit so she doesn’t fork over her soul. After all, she only needs one wish to win her ex back. Hell-bent to gather the last of the one thousand souls she needs so that she can be free of her own devilish deal, Daphne grants each of Samantha’s wishes . . . with a twist, so that Samantha is forced to make another. As Samantha’s wishes dwindle and Daphne offers her glimpses into the life she thought she wanted, the unlikely pair grows close. Perhaps the girl of Samantha’s dreams is actually the stuff of nightmares, but Samantha and Daphne will have to outsmart the Devil himself if they want a chance at happily ever after.
The Devil She Knows
Alexandria Bellefleur writes the heck out of an LGBTQ romance, but up until today I would have had her firmly enmeshed in the contemporary category. Not anymore! Baby’s first paranormal romance is here and queer!
“The Devil She Knows” takes a fantastical idea of making a deal with the devil in exchange for the small, modest price of your soul, but it adds a little spin.
Daphne, a demon in the market to collect souls, finds Samantha in an elevator after one of the worst nights of her life, and grants her the opportunity of 6 wishes in exchange for her soul. Sam, after having been blindsided by a proposal gone wrong, takes the deal with the hopes that she’ll be able to wish herself back into her ex-girlfriend’s good graces.
What could go wrong?
What Worked For Me
I loved Samantha’s POV throughout the story, because she provides really good insight into her mostly selfless wants and motivations. Sam is selfish, but also pure in her wish making, which ended up being the thing that… well, you’ll have to read to find out!
“To love is to suffer, Sam. It’s a curse and I don’t know why anyone would wish it upon themselves.”
Daphne, “The Devil She knows”
Also, I really enjoyed Daphne’s interactions, which was needed in order to be able to get to know her as a potential love interest. She’s sassy, but sweet in her own ways. She’s jaded in a way that only a few thousand years hustling souls for the underworld can bring. I would have liked to have her POV, too. She’s a really fun character and I imagine being inside her brain would be fascinating. Alexandria, maybe for some bonus content? :: wink wink nudge nudge ::
What Didn’t Quite Work For Me
“The Devil She Knows” is a variation of a love triangle, which usually don’t work for me. The pacing for the two different relationships developing on page felt off, and didn’t allow me to pick for one to root for more than the other. I kept flipping pages waiting for the big sha-bang, the lightbulb moment that would indicate how the remainder of the story would play out, only to be left more and more frustrated. If love triangles are your thing, this story would be a good fit.
Final Thoughts
“The Devil She Knows” is a step outside of Alexandria Bellefleur’s backlist of contemporary romance, and an exciting first step at that. Straying outside of your comfort zone can be a scary thing, but growing into a new voice takes courage.
Bellefleur is a proponent of queer voices and characters, and I always look forward to reading what she has to say. Can’t wait to see where Bellefleur will take readers next.
I’m Val, and I’m excited to share my love of books with you! I’m a sassy Sour Patch kid from New Jersey, dog mom to Chance the beagle, and much like the rest of the Hive, I’m a coffee lover (I think it’s a requirement to be here). The first book I remember reading voluntarily involved a boy wizard who lived in the cupboard under the stairs, and I’ve been chasing magic ever since. I love Happily Ever Afters, and I love love. My favorite genres are romance and rom-coms, fantasy, and young adult/new adult. If I’m not reading, I’m probably kayaking, watching the Great British Baking Show, or discovering a new craft beer.
