BOOK REVIEW
This was a series that have, to say Bookstagram made me do it! I’d heard such amazing and incredible reviews about the Devil’s Night Series that I was ready for it to break me and adore it completely! Suffice to say….unfortunatley, I was a little disappointed with it. I didn’t love it nearly as much as I thought I would. I don’t quite understand all the hype about this series!! This review took me soo long to write, because I honestly didn’t know what to say about this series. The third book (Kill Switch) is the only one I would lay my heart down and praise to the Gods. The other three, while being good, didn’t blow me away.
The whole premise of the Series centers around our Four Horsemen – The four teenage boys who use the vail of the Night before Halloween, to execute their greatest dares and terrorize the small town they call home. Yet everything goes pear shaped one Halloween when one-night turns into the reason they spend the next 3 years in Jail. All for different crimes (albeit undeservingly) yet warranted each Horsemen holds a vendetta against the women they love whom also happens to be the very woman who put them in there to begin with.
The Series starts of with Corrupt – following the one lucky male who scraped through without the Jail sentence. It was captivating and heart breaking at the same time. Rika is the family friend, and the one thing Michael has always wanted, but never been able to have. Until she falls right into his trap, but will she ever really be caught.
The cat and mouse game between Michael and Rika was interesting, it definitely keeps the reader on their toes. The chemistry between our leading couple, I struggled to find, especially at the start, it was more animosity and resentment without any of the longing. I have found throughout the whole series; Penelope doesn’t quite deliver when it comes to the connection between our leading duo. The Devil’s Night Series are definitely dark romances, which I have read plenty of and despite the cruel nature of these books the small thread of intrigue and attraction should be an integral part of the dynamic – Which does not exist in quite a few of the Devil Night Books.
I found Michael the most compelling and likeable straight off the bat!! Bits of the book are oddly placed with minimal lead up, making it disjointed and unwarranted at times. There is one sex scene in particular (not complaining about the smut at all!) but with zero lead up to it, any no hints or intrigue, it just didn’t fit with the rest of the book.
Corrupt is definitely cruel in nature, the things the four horsemen do to Rika is psychopathic and borderline torturous! But it all rounds out by the end!! I had such high hopes for this series the first book definitely let me down!! Michael and Rika remain one of my favourite couples out of the four, but there book, I didn’t find as strongly compelling.
That brings me to Hideaway!! I liked the dynamic between Kai and Banks from the very beginning! It’s intriguing, mysterious and angst ridden to the core. The connection between our leading couple was 100% better (not amazing) but a huge step up from book one.
There is the perfect amount of truths and hidden secrets that the story is extremeley compelling. Banks is soo dynamic and seeing her come out of her shell was a refreshing added layer to the story!! From the beginning I was pretty sure, I knew what Bank’s secret was (I was right, YAY) but watching Kai completely miss it and blunder was fun!!
Hideaway follows Kai, our resident bad boy but sweet to the core, with a debt to collect when Banks is thrown to up the ante. Bringing their past and shared history to the forefront of the entire story. Forever intended to Damon, Banks wrestles her internal battle but will it be Damon or Kai she treasures most.
This story was a step up from the first, but still had me questioning where all the undying love and fanfare for this series comes from, because that ride or die nature for these couples had yet to pique my interest.
That brings me to Kill Switch now….I think it's safe to say I spoke way too soon. WOW WOW WOW that’s the first and only word that comes to mind!! This book is the only 5 star in the series for me!!
Leading up to it, I was dreading reading Kill Switch. Thus far in the story Damon is our resident Dr. Evil – cruel, nasty, distant and inhumane at his finest. But the amount hiding underneath the surface is huge!!
Winter is the reason Damon went to jail, but Damon is the reason Winter hasn’t seen her reflection since they were kids. With hatred and contempt, they are brought into each other’s orbit yet again, but who will make it out, when they both have a score to settle.
Agonising doesn’t even begin to describe the tension between Damon and Winter it is palpable beyond belief. I love every part of their journey and could read it on repeat. Kill Switch, I felt FINALLY brought the entire series together and cemented it. But should it really take the third book in a series to love it. I hate to DNF a series, but I can imagine many would before even making it to the third in this series.
Despite being the coldest hearted of the four boys, Damon’s character was by far the warmest!! Finally, from the beginning the connection between our leading couple is strong! With Michael and Kai I found a strong lack of tension and longing between the couples. Finally, with Damon and Winter, Penelope nailed it.
Kill Switch was incredible!! Damon is my favourite hands down, no contest!! There is soo much behind the hard exterior. It’s a story of courage, resilience and longing, when hope is all but lost.
Damon and Winter’s story is fast passed, gut wrenching and inspiring. If there is one book in the entire series worth reading. It’s this one! It’s a shame it takes the third book in, for what I found for it to be worth it. But I completely and whole heartedly adored Kill Switch.
Then lucky last Nightfall, I enjoyed the final installment but didn’t find it drop dead amazing.
Will and Emory’s chemistry was great! You could tell the magnitude of feelings they both had for each other, again the cold-hearted nature of Penelope’s writing style, meant it at times is soo cruel, you question any warmth between them at all. Which is why I think, I struggle to love Penelope’s books sometimes, because the warmth and interaction between the leading couple is soo callous without affection. Nightfall brings the conclusion of the series and a joyous reunion of all the couples we know and love.
(SPOILER – My only frustration is that the wedding never really feels like it’s Emory & Will’s it is soo rushed, their connection was never really consolidated, being thrown into a wedding scenario with everyone else soo quickly, it felt forced).
Overall, I enjoyed the Devil’s Night series and being able to come back to the world with various short novellas is refreshing. However, I can’t say it’s one of my ride or die series. But if you are after good dark/thriller romance than this is a great choice. If you into epic dark/thriller type romances - Amo Jones, I find is the Queen!
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