Icarus and the Devil

Soul to Find #1

by Layla Reyne

My name is Icarus for a reason.

If there’s a way to screw up a plan, I’m your man.



Case in point:

Falling for the man I’m supposed to seduce and ferry to his death.

Adam Devlin, aka the Devil.

A vigilante ex-cop and a thorn in the side of the mobster blackmailing me.

Should be easy.

Except Adam’s longing for intimacy—for submission—is irresistible.

Seduce him, yes.
Lead him to his death, world of no.



There’s only one solution to save us both: kidnap the Devil.

I mentioned my name is Icarus, right?

Three guesses how this plan will go.

Bet you only need one.



Icarus and the Devil is a steamy M/M paranormal romantic suspense novel. It features two danger-magnet men trying to stay alive and failing to stay away from each other. Chaos ensues on their way to happily ever after.


Genres: Paranormal, Vampires, M M Romance, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Shapeshifters, Romance

318 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2023

About the author

Layla Reyne is the author of What We May Be and the Agents Irish and Whiskey, Fog City, and Perfect Play series. She writes sexy, intense LGBTQIA+ romance featuring competent adults in kitchens, sports arenas, car chases, and other high-stakes situations. Whether it’s adrenaline-fueled suspense, rival athletes, vampires and shifters in alt-realms, or love mixed with mouth-watering foodie goodness, queer folks finding happily-ever-afters is guaranteed.

Reviews

[Noa · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Do you have any idea who you've decided to get into trouble with?"

Icarus has one job.
Seduce the Devil and hand him over.
Should be easy right? Sounds pretty simple.
That is until Icarus meets the Devil. Meets Adam Devlin.
And everything changes.
What will he do to make sure the job gets done? And will he be able to do it?

"Danger had never felt so fucking good. And Icarus wanted more."

Adam Devlin.
The Devil is what I'm known as.
I haven't been the same. Not since I lost them.
Everything changed when I lost them.
I'm never gonna get them back, but I can get my vengeance.
I have a plan.
But the moment Icarus walks into my life.
Well… plans always change.

"Do you have any idea who you've decided to get into trouble with?"

I received this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book gave me Castiel and Dean from "Supernatural" vibes. It literally played in my head like a TV show and it was so good!!

"Icarus was a tangle of juxtapositions, a mystery Adam wanted to solve."

Icarus is so sassy, we stan people we stan. And Adam is that grumpy ex-detective. And when they collide. The world is destined to burn one way or another.

"Every second like this made whatever it was Icarus was doing with Adam feel less and less like a job and more and more like something he also wanted."

As always, this playlist was so much fun to put together:
Link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/59l...

🎧 "She Keeps Me Up" - Nickelback
🎧 "Show Me How You Burlesque" - Christina Aguilera
🎧 "Eat Your Young" - Annapantsu
🎧 "Beautiful Liar" - Beyonce, Shakira
🎧 "Get This Party Started" - P!nk
🎧 "Devil Doesn't Bargain" - Alec Benjamin
🎧 "You Put a Spell On Me" - Austin Giorgio
🎧 "Everytime We Touch" - Cascada
🎧 "Sex On Fire" - Kings of Leon
🎧 "Do it For Me" - Rosenfeld
🎧 "Popular Monster" - Falling In Reverse
🎧 "Telephone" - Lady Gaga, Beyonce
🎧 "Raging on a Sunday" - Alexander DeLeon
🎧 "Fire on Fire" - Sam Smith
🎧 "Heaven" - Julia Michaels
🎧 "Burnin' Up" - Jonas Brothers
🎧 "Killed Someone For You" - Alec Benjamin
🎧 "Achilles Come Down" - Gang of Youths
🎧 "Gasoline" - Halsey
🎧 "Natural" - Imagine Dragons
🎧 "Bring Me to Life" - Evanescence
🎧 "Phoenix" - Fall Out Boy
🎧 "Stay With Me" - Sam Smith
🎧 "El Dorado" - Stellar

And just in case 😉😉

"I am no one's fucking hero. Even if I were, this isn't me trying to rescue you. This is me trying to find any excuse not to haul you into the bathroom and let you fuck me senseless."

🥃 Tropes 🥃

🔥Paranormal Romance
🔥Suspense
🔥Fated Mates
🔥Grumpy x Sunshine
🔥Ex-Cop and Sassy Vampire

[Cadiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea what I was going to get, this was nothing like I thought it'd be and it was absolutely amazing.

Such a tight narrative, compelling and the characters are captivating from starring roles through to the secondary and background appearances.

Layla always writes fabulous romantic suspense and, to a degree, this is what we get here. It's just within a paranormal setting that's got brilliant world-building and an intriguing premise which means you just want to keep reading.

Icarus and Adam are fascinating characters, there's a wealth of history to them that slowly reveals itself as the plot unravels and I was rooting for them from the off.

The suspense comes from a bad guy who feels like a proper threat, he has power and plenty of minions and he's after Adam aka The Devil for some nefarious purpose and blackmails Icarus to get to him.

Nothing really is what it seems in this world, and as the story progresses and more information is revealed, you get twists and turns that would never have entered your head - just the kind of thing I love in a suspense.

There's no sudden overpowered deus ex to draw the story to a close, instead we get a real battle that has consequences for the series long story arc and I cannot wait for book two!

#ARC kindly received from the author via Valentine PR. I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Layla Reyne]

💥 AVAILABLE NOW 💥

ICARUS AND THE DEVIL, my new M/M paranormal romantic suspense, is live!

💥 Fated Mates
💥 M/M PNR Suspense
💥 Sassy Vampire Cam Boy
💥 Grumpy Widowed Ex-cop
💥 Lace, Toys & Dirty Talk

Grab your copy ➡️ https://books2read.com/IcarusDevil

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living up to his namesake, Icarus is screwed and not in a good way.

A vampire and courtesan, Icarus is being blackmailed into seducing a mobster's enemy, ex-cop Adam Devlin aka The Devil. If Icarus fails, he dies. If Icarus succeeds, then the man he's falling for dies. Rock meet hard place.

Icarus soon forms the only plan that will save the both of them: kidnapping The Devil and getting the hell out of dodge.

Holy cannoli! I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from Icarus and the Devil going in, but it instantly sucked me in and took me on an intense action packed ride. Icarus and Adam have and instant connection that I loved so much. They are such opposites, but are so well matched and really do balance each other well.

Seriously cannot wait for more of this series!

[Grace]

DNF ~3%

So this author's last series I also quickly DNF'd on book one, but everything else from them I tend to enjoy, and this summary sounded intriguing, so I fully expected to love this! Alas. It was just immediately clear from the first chapter that it was not for me. I can't even really describe it, but everything felt slimy and sleazy and just OTT in a way that really turned me off. Super bummed, but it's just not meant to be.

[Jacqueleen the Reading Queen♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I think you're the key."

"The key to what?"

"That's a longer discussion."


Layla Reyne is well known for her romantic suspense books, but unless I'm mistaken, this is Reyne's first novel in a paranormal setting. This made me inordinately happy because though I loved what I've read from this author, paranormal will always be my favorite type of read. With Icarus and the Devil Reyne proves that she can write PNR just as good as she can contemporary, which makes me hopeful we will be getting much more from this author.

As with most suspense genre books writing a review is tougher because you don't want to give any major spoilers or crucial plot info that will ruin any big revelations/twists. Certain people might think something is a spoiler, while others won't. I can tell you that I really enjoyed the dynamic between the MCs. I loved how Adam was such an alpha, but in the bedroom he loved nothing more than to submit. Icarus had no problems with that, and I feel like it helped to build some of the bond between them with Adam allowing himself to be in that vulnerable position he craved.

There were a lot of moving parts to this story. Even though these MCs end up in a good place at the end, there is still story left to tell. I have questions. I want to know more about the warlock Atlas. I want to know what is going on with Cormac and about his past. So so many questions and I'm hoping to get at least some of them answered when book 2 is released.

[gimmethosebooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has one of the greatest lines Layla has ever written and I CANNOT WAIT for people to read it

This is vintage Layla Reyne with a PNR flair. More please.

[Jewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to reread this because I want to read the rest of the series and I remembered jack all about this one. I still enjoyed it. Rating stands.

---------------Original 2023 review-----
3.5 Stars

A decent start to this series. I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes.

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The sharp, rich scent of blood spiked the air, and Adam grunted before hauling Icarus close. He slammed Icarus against the nearest wall and pressed against him, shielding him with his body, hot and thrumming with adrenaline. Driving Icarus wild."

I first discovered Layla Reyne when I stumbled across a recommendation for her Fog City series (thank you nameless Goodreads reviewer!) and absolutely loved it. Go download that series now if you haven't read it. It's a contemporary MM crime/romance series and it's sooo good. Anyway....when I saw Layla had released the first book in a new MM PNR series I knew I'd love it too. And I did.

Icarus and the Devil is book 1 in Layla Reyne's Soul to Find series, about a vigilante ex-cop, a dirty crime boss and the steamy cam boy who links them all together. But let's not forget that this is a PNR series, so many of the key players aren't what they seem and vampires and shifters abound following the Rift, when Nature and her allies had gone to war with Chaos and the darker forces of magic....

What you get:

🖤 MM PNR
🖤 Dark romance
🖤 Fated mates
🖤 Magic
🖤 Intrigue and suspense
🖤 All the steam
🖤 Hard won HEA

Recommended!

[Agalactiae · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75/5

Pour cette fois, j'ai lu le résumé de ce roman de Layla Reyne que j'étais impatiente de découvrir. Je le trouve bien, car il donne envie, plante légèrement le décor et le ton, mais en restant plutôt vague sur l'histoire.

Layla Reyne débute cette fois une romance paranormale sur fond de romantic suspens. Nous rencontrons Icarus, un vampire dont la prochaine mission sera de séduire dans le but de tuer. Une mission périlleuse et surtout qu'Icarus ne peut refuser... Le voilà donc sur les traces du Devil, Adam Devlin de son petit nom, un ancien flic, sa cible...

J'ai bien aimé ce roman en fait, j'ai vraiment apprécié l'ambiance générale du livre, surtout grâce au caractère bien trempé et drôle d'Icarus. Il faut dire aussi que le vampire est plutôt porté sur une zone sous la ceinture, ce qui donne des moments assez comiques. On se doute bien vers comment le duo formé par Icarus et Adam va évoluer, j'ai eu d'ailleurs un peu peur à un insta-love, d'autant plus lorsqu'on connaît le passé tragique d'Adam et ce qu'il a perdu une décennie en arrière. Mais non, enfin plus ou moins... on va dire qu'il y a un truc du destin mis sur le tapis, vous voyez. Il y a une bonne dynamique et alchimie entre ces deux loustics, façon grumpy & sunshine.
J'ai aimé comment l'auteur nous dévoile ses personnages au fil des pages, rien n'est ce qu'il semble être en fait, et c'est vraiment ce que j'ai apprécié ici, même si j'ai été deux ou trois fois déroutée dans ma lecture en me demandant où j'étais et où l'auteur m'emmenait ahah.

L'intrigue est vraiment sympathique et j'ai été surprise du déroulé des événements. On va dire que ce n'est pas à quoi je m'attendais ! Pour le coup, c'est original, l'auteur a su sortir des schémas habituels du genre. Et comme je le disais, l'ambiance (à prendre si on veut au second degré) est chouette, ça change.

Je lirai avec plaisir la suite des aventures d'Adam, Icarus mais aussi de tous les autres personnages que l'on rencontre !

[Aimee Nicole Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when my favorite authors dip their toes in new waters. All the classic elements of a Layla Reyne novel are present with the added paranormal bonus. This is one of the spicier books she’s written for sure. The characters are layered and intriguing. The plot is exciting and fast-paced for maximum enjoyment. I’m really excited to see where this series takes us!

[Jessy Mpdl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pour une première plongée dans le genre paranormal, Layla Reyne a réussi son coup ! Il faut dire que tous les ingrédients ont été réunis pour que l’on passe un passionnant moment. Entre une plume qui est toujours aussi fluide qu’addictive, un décor des plus fascinants, un scénario menée avec finesse, des personnages fort bien étoffés (avec des créatures paranormales fort intéressantes) et une bonne dose d’action, de rebondissements, de mystère, de suspens, d’humour, de danger, de tension, d’érotisme et d’émotions vives, je me suis littéralement régalée ! Si vous cherchez une palpitante romance paranormale qui sort de l’ordinaire, qui vous tienne en haleine du début jusqu’à la fin et qui en prime vous embrase tous les sens du terme. Alors Icarus and the Devil est exactement ce qu’il vous faut. Quand à moi, avec ce indice laissé par l’autrice à la fin, je trépigne d’impatience de savoir ce qu’elle va me réserver dans la suite à venir

>> 𝑴𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒔𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒈 𝒊𝒄𝒊: https://wp.me/p5AuT9-del <<

[Mirjam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've not been all that into the magic reads, e.g. casting spells, protection shields and what more, but this was a fabulous read. Probably due to Layla Reyne's writing, because I do like to read her books, she writes smoothly and engaging.







The story of Icarus and Adam is thrilling, it's full of unexpected turns and just when you think that this is it, here is when our beloved MC's will end up dead, we're thrown off track.
The world building is comprehensive and extensive, as are the many characters.

The ending brings us directly into the next book in the series, The ending brings us directly into the next book in the series, Cormac and Paris's story.
I do hope we'll get each character's story, they all deserve their HEA.




ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

While each book in the Soul to Find Series is about a different couple, they're best enjoyed when read in order:


Don’t miss Jason & Kai’s friends-t0-lovers freebie, Jason and the Storm!

[Heather♥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking forward to this book but unfortunately the struggle was real for me to even finish it. I found the worldbuilding to be confusing and sometimes even bizarre. I was like is this a spin-off from a series set in the same world so we're supposed to already be familiar with the concepts?

I didn't feel any kind of meaningful connection between the MCs aside from lust, and for the majority of the story one of them simply wanted vengeance and then to join his spouses in death who were killed a decade earlier.

I also didn't think the vast majority of characters were particularly likeable. I found myself skimming a lot towards the end because sadly I just wasn't invested in the storyline or the outcome.

[Lauren loves llamas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a pretty big fan of Layla Reyne’s romantic suspense books, so when I saw that she was taking a foray into paranormal romance? Well, I was definitely intrigued. Even with vampires, shifters and various other paranormal creatures, though, this still has all of the hallmarks of a romantic suspense novel, just in a slightly different setting.

Icarus may be a vampire, but sadly that still means you need to pay the bills. And Icarus owes money to some scary people. So it’s not a terrible surprise when they hijack one of his cam performances to blackmail him. They need him to seduce and deliver one Adam Devlin – or else. But from the moment Icarus, pretending to be human, meets Adam, there’s a connection between them, something that he decides to explore by playing along. Since the death of his romantic partners, Adam’s used his ex-cop connections to try to bring down the man responsible – the same man blackmailing Icarus. He may be out to get Adam, but he’s also the first person in years that catches his interest. With powerful forces aligned against them, what are the chances that they both make it out of this alive?

“Stay out of it, Icarus.”
“You caught my name, right?”

Adam comes off as grumpy – in truth he’s grieving, blaming himself for the death of his partners and refusing to do focus on anything that doesn’t have to do with vengeance. Icarus smashes that resolution with some heels and sass. And look – let’s just say that “Icarus” fits him to a T. Icarus is the definition of sassy – to the point where I was seriously worried about him at some points. That’s not to say he’s all play and no substance. He loves deeply and wants to protect those he loves. If his sister needed him, he’d drop everything to make sure she was safe.

It took me longer than I’d like to admit before I figured out that the story was set in an alternate San Francisco. The world-building is interesting and for the most part avoids info dumping. Instead new information is revealed bit by bit along with the characters’ backstories. It’s hard to go into much without getting into spoilers but there’s plenty of action, tense anticipation and plot twists along with the romance. It really did feel like a trademark Layla Reyne Whiskeyverse novel – just in a very different setting! As for cons, like many first books in a series, there were a lot of characters introduced quickly, many of whom I struggled to keep straight. Also, the ending wrapped up a bit too neatly and quickly for me. Everything up to that point was perfect – just that final chapter left me unsatisfied.

Overall, an interesting first foray into paranormal romance and one that I very much enjoyed. The couple for the next book has already been revealed and I am definitely planning on reading that one!

I received this book for free from Valentine PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Content notes: Violence (including murder), arson, blackmail, grief, death of a partner (in the past), references to a natural disaster

[Carra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will tell you from the start, this story is complex—there is a lot going on, and at the beginning you are pretty much dropped right in the middle of this alternate world. Because of this, at times it may seem like it is hard to follow what is going on. More of the backstory gets revealed as things go on, but please…whatever you do, give everything a chance to play out. When you get to the end, it will all be worth it. SO worth it!

Icarus and Adam are both complicated characters, each has their own secrets, their own traumas, and their own problems. They do not just fall into a relationship; their journey is not a straightforward one, and while this may be a paranormal with fated mates, it isn’t insta-love, and their path is not at all obvious. The physical attraction and compatibility is definitely there, and for Adam everything is emotionally harder given his backstory. These two are scorching together (seriously…you’ll see at the end).

The supporting characters are many, with a range of paranormal creatures such as shifters, magic users, vampires, and more. Most seem to have clear alliances, and there were a few that caught my eye that I’d love to see get their own stories.

I’m going to admit—the complications, secrets, and at time the flat-out “what the heck is going on?” Could be a little trying. But it does keep the suspense high throughout the story. As a reader, you’ll be in a heightened state of anticipation right up to the very end. Chapter 39…razor’s edge. Chapter 40? Holy. Moly. All that waiting, unsure what is happening, who to trust, what to think, how it all fits together…

HOLY. MOLY. There’s so much most readers will not see coming, but all those chapters before? It’s setting you up. Setting you up to blow everything apart. Remember I said at the end, it will all be worth it? It was and more.

Five stars, though falling just short of my top recommendation status just because the not knowing of so many things was a little bit stressful. It did make the ending a phenomenal one, but for me personally, I would have liked to get to know more about the world in which this was set. I think that lack of understanding about the setting early on might stymie some readers, but I hope if you start this that you push through. The author’s writing is excellent and for a first paranormal, they did an amazing job.

I’m already anticipating a re-read in the near future, and can’t wait for more in the series. Yes, even if I wind up on edge the entire time. I was already a fan of this author before with their contemporary romantic suspense stories, but this dive into paranormal romantic suspense led to the unexpected—in a very good way.

[BeckieLouLou · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars. Audiobook. Series of three books following a different couple in each book, must read in order. Both books I read have a moderate amount of old grief via the dead ex trope, less in the second book, but present in book one and book two. I could not find the audio for book 3, so I wasn’t able to read that one, but I believe the MC is grieving a twin/sister in that one. While I don’t usually like the dead ex trope, I adored the characters so much that I could get past it and still enjoy the story.

Great narration, single narrator creating multiple voices, done really well, was able to differentiate all the characters easily.

Kudos on the cover art, so beautiful and intriguing.

[Ziezie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.8 stars

[Suzanne Bourgeois]

not sure how to start this review. after I finished i recommended this to my sister, saying it had decent plot and decent spice. but, this book just hit different than merely decent. was it Adam's past and his heartbreak? was it the sibling affection Icarus has for his sister? was it how getting revenge would also save the world? or at least their little piece of it? somehow, adding the parts together multiplied how good this book is. I think it's the intimacy thing. this went beyond sex or romance. beyond falling in love. and I think that is why this story hit so hard. and why I say 10/10 would read over and over again.

[Linn · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You have someone I belong to. I need him back.”
~ Layla Reyne, Icarus and the devil

As many of you know by now, Layla Reyne is one of my favourite authors when it comes to queer contemporary romance. I just LOVE her writing, her characters and her found families soo much ♥️ And she writes the mix of romance and high suspense in such an amazing way! I was beyond excited when I found out that she was gonna release her first book in the paranormal romance genre, and she did NOT disappoint 😍😏🏳️‍🌈

Icarus and the Devil is a steamy, fated mates M/M paranormal romantic suspense novel, featuring a gender nonconforming vampire and a widowed ex-cop turned vigilante who is hellbent on vengeance for the loved ones he's lost.

I LOVED both Icarus and Adam, and their story! And I loved all the suspense, and all their steamy as well as swoony moments 😏

Layla Reyne also always does such an amazing job with queer representation, and it always makes me such a proud fan ♥️

I will very likely talk lots and lots more about this gorgeous book later on, but for now I just want to tell you that I LOVED it and that I want to recommend it to everyone, like so many of Layla Reyne’s other books 😍🏳️‍🌈

[Kristel (hungryandhappy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that I requested the arc of this book because of the intriguing title and because of the author since I've liked many of her previous books. I didn't read the blurb and went in with no knowledge of what I was getting myself into. The initial confusion of too many things and details thrown at us was lifted pretty soon as I got into the rhythm of the story and I just stopped asking myself why and just went with everything that was going on.
We have Icarus, a mysterious man, a courtesan, who finds himself blackmailed and charged with a job to do; lead the Devil to a trap so that he can be killed. Seems easy, he knows how to seduce a man and make them do whatever he wants them to do. Easy. But Icarus finds himself in front of the Devil, aka Adam, and immediately knows he doesn't want to lead him to his death. They know nothing about the other yet they are both so intrigued and full of wanting, scary feelings that shouldn't exist with all the bad things happening around them and that Adam tasked himself to eliminate, for vengeance, for a sense of guilt that never left.
There were so many secrets that were revealed to us very slowly. We have hints so we could formulate our theories but I was too focused of Icarus and Adam being fireworks together, to actually pay attention to the evidence shown that would later be revealed.
This was such a "full" book; it had many magical elements, it's dystopic, it has shifters, vampires and also beings beyond that. It's not just one thing, it's many and all at once. And it worked so well. This world was fascinating and I want to know more about it, more details about what happened all those years before, why and what's going to happen next.
There's a hint of what's to come in the second book right at the end, and I'm really looking forward for more of these characters and this world!

[R.L. Merrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pick this one up if you dig expert world-building with your suspense and steam. Loved the spin on vampires and I absolutely loved the post-apocalyptic setting, despite the fact that being from the area in question it was a little unsettling! The mashing together of magic and technology worked surprisingly well for me and I can't wait for more in the series!

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4 stars

Icarus and the Devil kicks off the new Soul to Find series from Layla Reyne. I love Reyne’s style with romantic suspense, so I was really excited to check out this series, which also adds in an urban fantasy and paranormal element. The set up here gives us a quasi-apocalyptic world after the Rift, which caused desolation, unstable land, and much danger. This is also a world of magic and shifters and other paranormals and I think Reyne blends all of these elements together well. I think some of the big picture world building could have used more fleshing out with regard to the Rift and what actually happened, as well as the state of things now.

I found this one to be a really nice start to the series and I am eager to see what more there is to come for these characters.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Nessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Icarus is blackmailed into seducing Adam Devlin, aka the Devil. A simple task, one might think, that simple task soon goes out the window as not being so simple for Icarus. These two quickly became so entertaining and enjoyable to read with mystery and intrigue. I got captivated quickly from the get go, wanting to know how these two end up as Icarus’ plans on a simple task go out the window with his first sight of Adam. These two would burn the world down for I’ve another if they had to.

One word to describe Icarus and Adam’s relationship: hot. The spice level is high between Icarus and Adam.

I’m a fan of Layla’s works. I’ve only read a handful of novels in the past, but it’s enough to know I enjoy her work. She’s good at keeping me captivated with her story and characters.

Overall, a solid 4-star novel.

*Reader Note: I received a free copy of this book through Gay Romance Reviews (GRR) and this is my honest review.

[Zaji-Kali (ZajiKaliReads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review
I loved Icarus and The Devil so much! The paranormal aspects of this book were very enjoyable and unique. I really liked the new species that we got to meet and learn about, including our incredible MMCs. The post-apocalyptic vibes of the story made the sinister plot really believable and it was fun to be immersed in this new world. There are some fights and action scenes in between these MCs falling for each other that totally rocked! I also loved how we got to see a little of the magic we can expect in future books in the series. But I adored the fact that there was a lot of depth to the story outside of this super steamy romance between Icarus and Adam. The side characters were really lovable and created an enviable found family aspect to the book.

Icarus is such a chaos demon! And I absolutely loved it! You can bet that any time his character is involved with a plan that it is just going to go horribly wrong, but also incredibly well… IYKYK!! Icarus was so adaptable and resourceful and I liked to see him figure things out after things go awry. I absolutely loved how he and Adam would banter back-and-forth, but the flirting was very fun to be a part of too! Icarus really had game which with his line of work as a cam boy makes sense, but I loved to see Adam swoon from being pursued so heavily by Icarus.

My heart hurt for Adam, and all the things that he lost. But I also really loved his quiet admiration and respect for his found family. He is the resigned leader and seeing him open his heart up to someone else was so beautiful. When we learn about his past, it made the romance between him and Icarus mean so much more! Ugh! Adam deserves the world!! He has so much on his shoulders, and what better way to relieve some tension than with the sexy chaos demon himself? His submission was perfection! I really loved seeing him let the walls around his heart down.

This book was so super hot! The spice was everything for me! What I would not give to be a fly on the wall! The connection between Icarus and Adam was intense because really the tension was through the roof! But the care and compassion between these two characters was lovely. Thank God this was not a closed door romance!

I would definitely recommend this book to those who love paranormal romances! This is book one of the series and could definitely be read as a standalone because there is an HEA! This was also my first book from Layla Reyne, but it will not be the last… I’ve already got my eye on a few others! Thank you to Valentine PR and the author for a copy of this book for review!

Favorite Quotes
“Eyes closed, he smiled, soft and fond, affection with fangs.”

“Did [he] want him? Because Adam… wanted… Icarus… More than he wanted his next breath right then. Maybe even more than he wanted death. That thought fucking terrified him.”

“My name isn’t Adam.” “It is to me.”“My name isn’t Icarus.” “You’ve told me that before… But you’re Icarus to me.”

“I haven’t felt like me in ten years. Not until I met you.”

“The only danger you’re in is missing out on the best night of your life if you leave here without me.”

“I am no one’s fucking hero… Even if I were, this isn’t me trying to rescue you. This is me trying to find any excuse not to haul you into the bathroom and let you fuck me senseless with this piece.”

“How do I reach you?”
“Seems you already know where to find me.”
“For a proper date.”
Icarus laughed out loud. “Sweetheart, I am not the sort you date.”

“Hell, he couldn’t be certain he could deliver Adam anywhere but to his bed.”

“He nuzzled the crook of Icarus’s neck as his warm breaths and rapid heartbeat slowed. Every second like this made whatever it was Icarus was doing with Adam feel less and less like a job and more and more like something he also wanted.”

“I want everyone to see you on my arm, then I want to take you home.”

“Icarus faltered and lost his breath, worried at first, but looking to the source of those tears, he found no sadness in Adam’s bright eyes. Only relief, only desire, only sheer worshipful appreciation. Only fire. Fuck, had anyone ever looked at Icarus like that before? He didn’t think so, and he didn’t think he was ever going to get the vision out of his head.”

“Adam smiled wider, unable to contain the laughter that bubbled up and out of him. That was something else he’d missed. Something he could hardly remember doing the past ten years until a certain vampire courtesan had marked him as his own.”

“You have someone I belong to. I need him back.”

“You’re going to help me ruin these pretty panties…Just with that gorgeous mouth of yours.”

Spice Rating
3.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️

There are several open door scenes in this book with kink adjacent content.

Setting / World / Universe
This world was heavily inspired by San Francisco and I like the post-apocalyptic scenery. This is definitely a broken world and the dire circumstances created from the rifts splitting up the land was a cool touch, as well.

Sensitive Content
Here is the potentially sensitive content I observed while reading this book:

Alcohol
Death of a Loved One
Grief
Profanity
Sexually Explicit Scenes
Violence

Genre
Paranormal Romantic Suspense

Tropes
Age gap romance
Emotional scars
Opposites Attract
Found family

Full Review ❤️:
https://wp.me/p9NXSv-10G

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You knew?”
“The second you clocked your step to my heartbeat at Club Sutro.”
“What are you?”

As soon as I start reading this book I was pulled in. Layla Reyne's writing is so engaging and the pacing of the story is fast.

First of all, I didn't enjoy the insta love. I wish it could have been over 2 books to give it time to develop & to really connect with their love. Instead everything happens over a week essentially and as much as I tried to go with the paranormal aspect of fate and all that I couldn't. Adam being both hot & cold at times and calling Icarus baby so early on along with Icarus talking about an "Adam shaped hole" in his chest caused such a visceral reaction from me lol. And I won't say it's cheesy cause I don't think it's necessarily that but the intense emotional confessions and feelings was too much too soon for me.

That as well as the fact Adam who lost his husband and wife 10 years ago has been grieving so much but so swiftly is falling for Icarus. Swiftly in the sense of from first meeting him. For me, I just wish that Layla Reyne would have used a different catalyst. Because 1) I'm an emotional sentimental baby ok? Thinking of what they all lost makes me sad on such a deep level.
And 2) mostly because we don't really delve into that. It feels like any other catalyst could be used. A different connection and it wouldn't have impacted the plot for me anyways. I like to understand things fully, and I just don't think we get it here. I guess by the end I just felt like why?

The paranormal world and aspects are ones I really liked and I'm excited to see what else Layla does with this world. I do feel the dynamics between characters didn't really feel grounded and I think this is due to the pacing being so quick but I'm looking forward to getting to see more of them.

Something this author does that I really appreciate is her intention with how she writes. From being one of very few authors who I can rely on to mix past love and the present without dismissing it just to justify the current romantic relationship. Especially when there's a deceased partner, the author doesn't cheaply write that past relationship off like way too many romance novels do. To the way she doesn't use cheap plot devices like how Icarus's job is essentially sex work and that doesn't just magically go away. I just think the author really writes with care and intention in many ways and I love that.

There were many times I actually felt sad and emotional here. One of those times was the last twist with Adam and Icarus. It's not sad in of itself but made me sad. I'm a bag of sadness ok lol.

Also there is something that happens that is pretty much foreshadowed early in the book that I knew was gonna happen. I wasn't sure how it would but just knew it was gonna happen lol.

This book is quite steamy and I'm not sure if this is the book of the author's that has the most *spicy content* because from the ones I have read this one feels like it is the most steamy. There's some books I have read where it feels like everything is just leading to a sex scene and the plot gets lost but even though there's quite a bit of it here it never felt out of place or forced.

Because of the very small timeline here and how fast things went, once you're finished it can almost feel like whiplash and you didn't really get to take in all the chaos. However, Layla does suspense so well. And while I don't know how many books are planned this feels like only the beginning and I'm excited to see how much more this world expands and how the themes of nature and balance and possibly fate will be played with.

Now, Atlas, you little mysterious fucker, I need to know everything.

Also, does Paris and Cormac's book seem like it's gonna be just as heavy on insta love? Yes.
Did that stop me from immediately pre-ordering? No of course not.
Did I let out a cry when I seen "October 2024" ? Worry about yourself lolol

[Abrianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had potential, a lot of it, but towards the end fell flat.
I liked Icarus and Adam both and the way they fell together, even though it was instalove, didn't feel much like instalove, it was believable amongst the paranormal landscape the author painted. There's nothing off about the romance portion of the book, the rest of it...it's a bit iffy for me.
The secrets and riddles were interesting and intriguing and I LOVED how one of the revelations went down. However, for an author who is known for her contemporary romantic suspense, I expected... more. Especially since it's a PNR, which gives allowances for more. You can do so much in a paranormal book that you can't do in a contemporary and I guess I expected the author to lean into that since she knows how to set up a suspense book. I'll give allowances as it's her first PNR, and maybe my expectations were too high.
All in all it's not a bad book, just not what I wanted it to be. I'll give the next book in a series a chance because new series and genres are hard and I believe in this author's storytelling.

[Shirahase · Rating 4 out of 5]

An urban fantasy mixed with paranormal romance, with vampires, shifters, rogue warlocks, evil gangsters and the underlying war between Nature and Chaos in a vaguely dystopian setting. That kind of all-in-one stories tend to be a bit much for me, but the author blends those elements pretty well, so once I got over the initial confusion, it read pretty smoothly. The opening scene is certainly memorable and the story doesn't slow down from there. While I'm not entirely sold on the romance part, which feels more like a strong case of insta-lust with some potential for more, the action parts mixed heavily with suspense make for a pretty fun rollercoaster ride.

The best part of the story for me was Icarus. I think he's one of the author's most interesting characters, bit of a hot mess even on a good day, but full of good intentions and brimming with life, with such a strong, colorful personality that it's hard not to be charmed by him. In comparison, Adam aka the Devil's character ends up being a little bland. While he does have some unexpected facets, he's certainly lacking the flair and spirit of Icarus, and his single-mindedness and grim determination make him much harder to connect with. I got much more invested in side characters like Atlas, Cormac and Robin and I'm really looking forward to reading their stories.

As for the storytelling itself, if you hate infodumps and always wanted quite the opposite – well, here is the ultimate infodrip for you. Everyone has a mysterious backstory and at least one secret identity, and no one is sharing with the class, at least not at the beginning. On one hand, it's kind of fun if you like slowly piecing together what's really going on and if you can appreciate the constant plot twists and dramatic reveals. On the other, it can be frustrating since some key information clearly isn't there, and the world is not really described in great detail either, so it feels like being thrown in the deep end when you start reading and the big picture remains rather difficult to grasp throughout the story. At this point it's hard to say if the author is purposefully skimping on details or if they're just missing altogether, but as it's the first book in the series I'm willing to give it the benefit of a doubt and just hope this world will be explored further in the sequels.

All in all, it's a good read for fans of paranormal romance and urban fantasy, especially those who don't mind some loose threads at the end and are willing to wait for the ultimate big reveal until the last book.

ARC provided by the author, I have chosen to read and write an honest review.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love love loved Icarus ..and the steam 🔥... everything else not so much.

-courtesan / cam boy
-ex cop
-paranormals
- very high , delicious steam

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Layla Reyne is one of my go-to authors for romantic suspense. So, to read a paranormal romance from her is a treat. Icarus and the Devil gives you the superior writing you expect from Layla, and the strength of the story is accented by the underlying theme of love after loss. If you’re looking for a paranormal romance with a dystopian setting and strong characters finding love, this is definitely one you should read. I can’t wait for the next one.