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The De Vil Dynasty #1
The Devil's Pawn
Before I was born, my father sold me to the powerful De Vil family.
Not a single breath had passed my lips when he signed away my life with a dismissive flick of his Mont Blanc pen. He sacrificed my freedom for his own gain, leaving me trapped with no early release for good behavior.
In four days, I’ll belong to him. Alexander De Vil, one of the most influential men in England.
I know my place. My parents drilled my future role into me. Be a dutiful wife, an outstanding host, produce an heir and a spare for the De Vil Dynasty.
Keep my mouth shut and my legs open. Little more than a pawn in a merciless man’s game.
But I’m nobody’s pawn.
Not even the Devil’s.
Not a single breath had passed my lips when he signed away my life with a dismissive flick of his Mont Blanc pen. He sacrificed my freedom for his own gain, leaving me trapped with no early release for good behavior.
In four days, I’ll belong to him. Alexander De Vil, one of the most influential men in England.
I know my place. My parents drilled my future role into me. Be a dutiful wife, an outstanding host, produce an heir and a spare for the De Vil Dynasty.
Keep my mouth shut and my legs open. Little more than a pawn in a merciless man’s game.
But I’m nobody’s pawn.
Not even the Devil’s.
430 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 5, 2024
1866 people are currently reading
9140 people want to read
About the author
Tracie Delaney
75 books732 followersTracie Delaney writes billionaire romance where the men fall hard and the women make them work for it. Even though she has more than 35 novels published across many different series, Tracie still considers herself a reader first and foremost and loves fangirling over her favorite authors.
At night she likes to curl up on the sofa with her two furbabies, Murphy & Cooper, and binge-watch shows on Netflix. There may be wine involved.
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Website: www.authortraciedelaney.com
At night she likes to curl up on the sofa with her two furbabies, Murphy & Cooper, and binge-watch shows on Netflix. There may be wine involved.
Stalk Tracie at:
Reader group: https://bit.ly/39f4sZz
Bookbub: https://bit.ly/3yhM5N9
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3Nj1kJW
TikTok: https://bit.ly/3tZZEye
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3Oz11f4
Website: www.authortraciedelaney.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 329 reviews
December 9, 2024
3.75⭐
The usual cliche marriage of convenience book where the broody asshole meets his match and falls in love and then throw in a kidnapping scene. I'm a basic bitch so ofc I still ate it up. The family is fun so I MAY continue the series......
The usual cliche marriage of convenience book where the broody asshole meets his match and falls in love and then throw in a kidnapping scene. I'm a basic bitch so ofc I still ate it up. The family is fun so I MAY continue the series......
January 9, 2025
❌🚩👉MAJOR SPOILER ALERT WARNING!!!!👈🚩❌
I don’t know how to rate this one. There are parts I liked such as the actual romance with the MCs but it tended to drag and I had to skim a lot.
Originally, I thought this was a Mafia trope and while it is in some way, it differs in the fact that Hero & his family only kill bad guys who rape & abuse women. So I guess they are some sort of vigilantes… Anyway, this is an arranged marriage trope as well where neither MC wants to marry the other but the Fathers made an agreement and they have to go through it whether they like it or not. So story starts with both MCs thinking that they will get the other to ask for a divorce first so that the parents don’t blame him/her. They do a lot to get on each other’s nerve to file for a divorce! LOL.
Hero has a traumatic past
He goes to therapy every week but he is set on never falling in love and having kids So as the MCs start getting close, both fall in love and Hero does something unconscionable which is to have his doctor secretly implant a tracking device on heroine and give her some dose of contraceptive to make sure she doesn’t fall pregnant with his kid. He never tells heroine he did this until the end but that act to me was not okay. He too feels guilt for doing that to her but he is stuck in the past of not wanting kids and wanting her safe.
This is a slow burn because it literally takes them half of the story to finally consummate their marriage because he was waiting for the contraception to take effect before he could f**k his wife. I had to skim the first sex scene because honestly it was gross and very pornographic written and that is not why I read fiction romances. Anyhoo, so you have the first half of the story where MCs are fighting their attraction & playing tricks on one another, and the second half finally talking & becoming a true couple which was sweet and I loved it!
There are side characters that I liked such as her 2 BFFs and Hero’s brothers who are a hoot – and I am sort of interested in the next story which is with this Hero’s brother (Nicholas) & heroine’s BFF (Victoria).
Safety:
Safe.
Virgin heroine
Hero does not come across as a Manho but he said in previous relationships he chose women who were divorced or career women who didn’t want marriage & kids and he always had them sign a legal document stating that if a child were to come out of their relationship that he forfeits the right to support or raise the kid. This was so that it could dissuade them from trapping him into an unwanted pregnancy. He also thought of getting a vasectomy but couldn’t do it because his Father would disown him.
No OW/OM past or present
HEA or HFN with them happily married and expecting their kid.
I don’t know how to rate this one. There are parts I liked such as the actual romance with the MCs but it tended to drag and I had to skim a lot.
Originally, I thought this was a Mafia trope and while it is in some way, it differs in the fact that Hero & his family only kill bad guys who rape & abuse women. So I guess they are some sort of vigilantes… Anyway, this is an arranged marriage trope as well where neither MC wants to marry the other but the Fathers made an agreement and they have to go through it whether they like it or not. So story starts with both MCs thinking that they will get the other to ask for a divorce first so that the parents don’t blame him/her. They do a lot to get on each other’s nerve to file for a divorce! LOL.
Hero has a traumatic past
He goes to therapy every week but he is set on never falling in love and having kids So as the MCs start getting close, both fall in love and Hero does something unconscionable which is to have his doctor secretly implant a tracking device on heroine and give her some dose of contraceptive to make sure she doesn’t fall pregnant with his kid. He never tells heroine he did this until the end but that act to me was not okay. He too feels guilt for doing that to her but he is stuck in the past of not wanting kids and wanting her safe.
This is a slow burn because it literally takes them half of the story to finally consummate their marriage because he was waiting for the contraception to take effect before he could f**k his wife. I had to skim the first sex scene because honestly it was gross and very pornographic written and that is not why I read fiction romances. Anyhoo, so you have the first half of the story where MCs are fighting their attraction & playing tricks on one another, and the second half finally talking & becoming a true couple which was sweet and I loved it!
There are side characters that I liked such as her 2 BFFs and Hero’s brothers who are a hoot – and I am sort of interested in the next story which is with this Hero’s brother (Nicholas) & heroine’s BFF (Victoria).
Safety:
Safe.
Virgin heroine
Hero does not come across as a Manho but he said in previous relationships he chose women who were divorced or career women who didn’t want marriage & kids and he always had them sign a legal document stating that if a child were to come out of their relationship that he forfeits the right to support or raise the kid. This was so that it could dissuade them from trapping him into an unwanted pregnancy. He also thought of getting a vasectomy but couldn’t do it because his Father would disown him.
No OW/OM past or present
HEA or HFN with them happily married and expecting their kid.
October 24, 2025
╭ ✦ •
│ ⊹ 𝟹.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙, 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚜𝚘𝚘𝚗 ⊹
╰ ✦ •
WHAT!? The ending with Nickolas' chapters?? shocking but also WHAT?? it felt random to have his POV
Overall, I enjoyed this, it kept me interested and on the edge of my seat.
I liked their banter and chemistry but holy shit he was such an asshole for most of this (one of the reasons why I want to rate it lower + Imogen was so annoying the last 30% of this)
The whole Will situation wasn't really explained good? So he was that the only reason? idk i feel like it could have been explained better?
I did like how they came together and talked about all their issues, etc
────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────
⊹ 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽 ⊹
❥arranged marriage
❥enemies to lovers
❥billionaire
❥age gap
❥jealous/possessive hero
❥touch her and d!e
❥morally gray
❥alpha male
❥v!rgin heroine
Thank you for the ARC, Tracie!
_________________________________
The Devil's Pawn | Review
The Devil's Torment | Review
The Devil's Deceit | Review
Blog ಇ StoryGraph ಇ Instagram ಇ Twitter ಇ Facebook
│ ⊹ 𝟹.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙, 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚜𝚘𝚘𝚗 ⊹
╰ ✦ •
WHAT!? The ending with Nickolas' chapters?? shocking but also WHAT?? it felt random to have his POV
Overall, I enjoyed this, it kept me interested and on the edge of my seat.
I liked their banter and chemistry but holy shit he was such an asshole for most of this (one of the reasons why I want to rate it lower + Imogen was so annoying the last 30% of this)
The whole Will situation wasn't really explained good? So he was that the only reason? idk i feel like it could have been explained better?
I did like how they came together and talked about all their issues, etc
────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────
⊹ 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽 ⊹
❥arranged marriage
❥enemies to lovers
❥billionaire
❥age gap
❥jealous/possessive hero
❥touch her and d!e
❥morally gray
❥alpha male
❥v!rgin heroine
Thank you for the ARC, Tracie!
_________________________________
The Devil's Pawn | Review
The Devil's Torment | Review
The Devil's Deceit | Review
Blog ಇ StoryGraph ಇ Instagram ಇ Twitter ಇ Facebook
January 5, 2025
DNF **Spoilers**
The MMC is so awful and the FMC is so contradictory I couldn’t finish. The FMC is supposed to be this tough, sassy girl, yet she let him get away with manipulating her with no consequences. Even when He humiliates her repeatedly, locks her in a room for 7 hours, keeps her completely isolated from everyone, trying to make her so miserable she asks him for a divorce, I held on, hoping it would get better. I even held on when he gave her a birth control shot and stuck a tracker in her arm without her knowledge or consent, because I’m an optimist who likes dark romance, and it takes a lot for me to completely give up on a antihero. But when FMC’s friend came to visit, and he physically forced the friend on to the plane and sent her home, after making the FMC believe he was glad she had a fun day with her friend…I was done. Maybe if her reaction to him sending her friend home and getting locked up, would have matched her personality…which means she made him pay, OR if he would have showed some kind of remorse, I could have completed it. But he just continued to manipulate and she just rolled over. He was unredeemable and her response to his manipulation made no sense. DNF
The MMC is so awful and the FMC is so contradictory I couldn’t finish. The FMC is supposed to be this tough, sassy girl, yet she let him get away with manipulating her with no consequences. Even when He humiliates her repeatedly, locks her in a room for 7 hours, keeps her completely isolated from everyone, trying to make her so miserable she asks him for a divorce, I held on, hoping it would get better. I even held on when he gave her a birth control shot and stuck a tracker in her arm without her knowledge or consent, because I’m an optimist who likes dark romance, and it takes a lot for me to completely give up on a antihero. But when FMC’s friend came to visit, and he physically forced the friend on to the plane and sent her home, after making the FMC believe he was glad she had a fun day with her friend…I was done. Maybe if her reaction to him sending her friend home and getting locked up, would have matched her personality…which means she made him pay, OR if he would have showed some kind of remorse, I could have completed it. But he just continued to manipulate and she just rolled over. He was unredeemable and her response to his manipulation made no sense. DNF
December 8, 2024
Heroines who live their WHOLE LIVES knowing they have an obligation to marry (as in mafia/business, etc...) and then buck and whine and fight when its actually time to do it are annoying as hell. Suck it up, bitch, and rule that house, make it work for you, instead of whining and acting all butt hurt because you somehow FORGOT you were obligated to marry a stranger.
December 28, 2024
I struggled with this book for several reasons. While I enjoyed the banter between the characters, certain actions taken by the characters bothered me. It felt like Imogen fought back against Alexander except when it really mattered. A couple times it seemed like her hormones over rode her common sense which was infuriating.
The tracker and contraception without Imogen’s knowledge by both Alexander and Charles is what really ruined this book for me. The tracker I could have made my peace with, I feel like it’s a common thing in dark romances. But I will never be ok with anyone forcing a decision having to do with birth control and children on someone else. That kind of thing in books makes my skin crawl and absolutely ruins the whole thing for me.
The tracker and contraception without Imogen’s knowledge by both Alexander and Charles is what really ruined this book for me. The tracker I could have made my peace with, I feel like it’s a common thing in dark romances. But I will never be ok with anyone forcing a decision having to do with birth control and children on someone else. That kind of thing in books makes my skin crawl and absolutely ruins the whole thing for me.
July 15, 2025
I enjoyed this and would say like 3.5 stars. Not quite 4 but 3 doesn't really seem fair.
Alexander De Vil and Imogen are contractually bound to marry. A contract her father agreed to with Alexander's father before Imogen was even born. She lives in California, he lives in...London or somewhere around there. 😅 They don't even meet until 4 days before the wedding.
The interactions between Alexander and Imogen really aren't all that interesting, apart from one. These two are a classic "failure to communicate" that gets out of hand. They are also the two least interesting characters. There are several side characters, all of which grabbed my attention mode than Alexander and Imogen.
The final chapter is written in Nicholas's point of view, he is Alexander's brother and the next in line to marry. His chapter is also the most interesting in the book, and I assume the next book is going to be from his point of view, which I am jumping into next.
Alexander De Vil and Imogen are contractually bound to marry. A contract her father agreed to with Alexander's father before Imogen was even born. She lives in California, he lives in...London or somewhere around there. 😅 They don't even meet until 4 days before the wedding.
The interactions between Alexander and Imogen really aren't all that interesting, apart from one. These two are a classic "failure to communicate" that gets out of hand. They are also the two least interesting characters. There are several side characters, all of which grabbed my attention mode than Alexander and Imogen.
The final chapter is written in Nicholas's point of view, he is Alexander's brother and the next in line to marry. His chapter is also the most interesting in the book, and I assume the next book is going to be from his point of view, which I am jumping into next.
December 5, 2024
5 ⭐️
Thank you for the ARC Tracie, I forgot just how much I adore a good arranged marriage romance! This one was a perfect enemies-to-lovers, featuring two people who, on paper, seemed completely mismatched. Yet, as they're thrust into a marriage arranged by their fathers over twenty years ago, they discover just how alike they really are.
Tracie is a new-to-me author, and I initially came across the stunning artwork of Alexander and Imogen's first dance, from their wedding and honestly, I sold from then.
Who doesn't love a possessive man determined not to fall for his young new wife? Alexander’s brand of unhinged was something else and paired with the dirty mouth he has, it was so good!!
Alexander and Imogen were such complex, multifaceted characters, and they brought out sides of each other that were truly captivating.
I really loved the mental health rep —there’s nothing like seeing a man who isn’t afraid to go to therapy.
I'm eagerly anticipating what's to come next for this series, especially after that cliffhanger teaser setting up book 2!
Tropes
♟️ age gap
💍 arranged marriage
♟️ billionaire romance
💍 enemies to lovers
♟️ possessive/jealous mmc
💍 virgin fmc
♟️ touch her and die
Thank you for the ARC Tracie, I forgot just how much I adore a good arranged marriage romance! This one was a perfect enemies-to-lovers, featuring two people who, on paper, seemed completely mismatched. Yet, as they're thrust into a marriage arranged by their fathers over twenty years ago, they discover just how alike they really are.
Tracie is a new-to-me author, and I initially came across the stunning artwork of Alexander and Imogen's first dance, from their wedding and honestly, I sold from then.
Who doesn't love a possessive man determined not to fall for his young new wife? Alexander’s brand of unhinged was something else and paired with the dirty mouth he has, it was so good!!
Alexander and Imogen were such complex, multifaceted characters, and they brought out sides of each other that were truly captivating.
I really loved the mental health rep —there’s nothing like seeing a man who isn’t afraid to go to therapy.
I'm eagerly anticipating what's to come next for this series, especially after that cliffhanger teaser setting up book 2!
Tropes
♟️ age gap
💍 arranged marriage
♟️ billionaire romance
💍 enemies to lovers
♟️ possessive/jealous mmc
💍 virgin fmc
♟️ touch her and die
December 12, 2024
I absolutely love this book! It has a wonderful family vibe that captured my heart from the very first chapter. I truly enjoyed the inclusion of old-money mansions and the portrayal of English aristocracy; it was amazing to see that in the story. This series has made an impressive start, and I am confident that it will continue to be fantastic. I was eager to find out what would happen next and couldn’t put it down until I finished. I even avoided distractions from everything and everyone, choosing to read alone in my room.🩶
I really appreciate when a book has a touch of angst, and this one delivers on that front. I found it remarkable that the angst wasn't solely from the fmc but also from the mmc. At times, I felt so frustrated with Alexander that I had to take a moment to calm down before I could continue reading. The ending of the book is truly shocking and will shake you to your core—100%!
I am eager to read more books from the "De Vil Dynasty." Of course, I am particularly excited about Nicholas' story, but I'm also looking forward to learning more about Tobias and Saskia. While I didn't get much information about Christian, I definitely want to know more about him too. The writing style is smooth and easy to understand, making it simple to pause and then pick the book back up again without any issues.
I really appreciate when a book has a touch of angst, and this one delivers on that front. I found it remarkable that the angst wasn't solely from the fmc but also from the mmc. At times, I felt so frustrated with Alexander that I had to take a moment to calm down before I could continue reading. The ending of the book is truly shocking and will shake you to your core—100%!
I am eager to read more books from the "De Vil Dynasty." Of course, I am particularly excited about Nicholas' story, but I'm also looking forward to learning more about Tobias and Saskia. While I didn't get much information about Christian, I definitely want to know more about him too. The writing style is smooth and easy to understand, making it simple to pause and then pick the book back up again without any issues.
January 8, 2025
3.75⭐️
April 30, 2025
1 star- DNFd at 40%
i have tried to read this twice. So i do like some of the banter between the MCs, but a lot of this plot just doesn't make sense. so the MCs have know they had an arranged marriage before FMC was born and she has gone her whole life knowing this but has not met the MMC but instead of idk doing something like getting fake identification and high tailing it out of there way before the wedding in London? she decides shes going to try to get him to divorce her so she can then go back to California. All while hes trying to get her to break them up so he doesnt have to take the blame. it just didnt make a whole lot of sense considering he could just be married to her & ship her off to another property instead of divorcing her.
then the FMC said she's going to do all these things to try to get him to divorce her but she doesn't really do anything for awhile there.
i have tried to read this twice. So i do like some of the banter between the MCs, but a lot of this plot just doesn't make sense. so the MCs have know they had an arranged marriage before FMC was born and she has gone her whole life knowing this but has not met the MMC but instead of idk doing something like getting fake identification and high tailing it out of there way before the wedding in London? she decides shes going to try to get him to divorce her so she can then go back to California. All while hes trying to get her to break them up so he doesnt have to take the blame. it just didnt make a whole lot of sense considering he could just be married to her & ship her off to another property instead of divorcing her.
then the FMC said she's going to do all these things to try to get him to divorce her but she doesn't really do anything for awhile there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2025
Mmm left plot to be desired. Also the conflicts resolved to quickly
May 21, 2025
I won this book in a giveaway on Facebook and I am so glad I did. These two loathe each other and do not even know each other. This is a forced marriage that neither of them want. I mean let's start with the De Vil Dynasty, that name is so fire. Alexander is so hot and he has so much anger inside. I feel he did not know where or how to direct it. It was understandable though. Imogen was such a strong FMC and I felt for her. She needed her people so badly. The two of them together, when neither of them wanted to be, made for all the angst. They were trying so hard to infuriate the other.
I could see the second things started to shift. I loved watching this completely unfold. I loved every second of this. I thought this book was so intense. I think I read it in two days. I loved Delaney's writing. This was a huge enemies to lovers and that is my favorite. I thought this author did it so well. I had this at a four and I just changed it to five stars because I remember it so well. When a book stays with me like this one did it deserves 5!
Plus+ I completely fell for the De Vil siblings. I am really hoping we get to see more of them. I am ready for book 2!
꧁𝓠𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼꧂
😈 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙜𝙚: 𝘼𝙡𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝘿𝙚 𝙑𝙞𝙡 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡. 𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩. 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙝𝙤𝙬.
😮💨 𝘼𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩, 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙄 𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙨, 𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣.
♟️ 𝑰’𝒎 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒂𝒘𝒏. 𝑨𝒍𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓’𝒔 𝒑𝒂𝒘𝒏. 𝑰’𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚’𝒔 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒂𝒘𝒏.
I could see the second things started to shift. I loved watching this completely unfold. I loved every second of this. I thought this book was so intense. I think I read it in two days. I loved Delaney's writing. This was a huge enemies to lovers and that is my favorite. I thought this author did it so well. I had this at a four and I just changed it to five stars because I remember it so well. When a book stays with me like this one did it deserves 5!
Plus+ I completely fell for the De Vil siblings. I am really hoping we get to see more of them. I am ready for book 2!
꧁𝓠𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼꧂
😈 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙜𝙚: 𝘼𝙡𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝘿𝙚 𝙑𝙞𝙡 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡. 𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩. 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙝𝙤𝙬.
😮💨 𝘼𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩, 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙄 𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙨, 𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣.
♟️ 𝑰’𝒎 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒂𝒘𝒏. 𝑨𝒍𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓’𝒔 𝒑𝒂𝒘𝒏. 𝑰’𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚’𝒔 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒂𝒘𝒏.
November 23, 2024
This book had me hooked within the first chapter. The feisty spitfire personality of Imogen and the stubborn hotheaded man of Alexander….phewwww what a great choice of main characters. They both truly were meant for each other and anyone could see that just not them. This book was phenomenal and had me racing to pick back up when I had to put it down.
I cannot wait to see how the rest of De Vil family stories continue….
I cannot wait to see how the rest of De Vil family stories continue….
April 24, 2025
he was an asshole, locked her up on a panic room for 7 hours when she is afraid of small spaces, isolated her, put a tracker and birth control in her without her knowledge.
she is a doormat, she lets him do all this and falls in love with him.
their feeling come out of nowhere.
the father in law is a cunt, he makes sure the birth control is not actually birth control and she gets pregnant.
she is a doormat, she lets him do all this and falls in love with him.
their feeling come out of nowhere.
the father in law is a cunt, he makes sure the birth control is not actually birth control and she gets pregnant.
January 15, 2025
Had promise yet failed miserably.
The opening couple of chapters had me hoping that Imogen was going to keep hold of her nerve in her battle to outwit Alexander to see which one of them would ask for a divorce first after their arranged marriage, boy was I wrong.
Alexander is a damaged, controlling pig; his underhand methods to track Imogen and prevent any chance of conception are irredeemable and why Imogen basically shrugs it off is unbelievable. I thoroughly disliked him and wanted Imogen to sign the divorce papers and high tail it back to California. There’s a fine art in creating a charismatic, controlling MMC and it’s definitely not achieved here.
The 180° turn in their feelings towards each other didn’t make sense as it was too rushed. I can’t stand it when a potentially strong FMC turns into a limp noodle so quickly.
This might have worked better as a 2 book series, with better character development and creating a somewhat likeable alpha MMC as the story progresses.
The opening couple of chapters had me hoping that Imogen was going to keep hold of her nerve in her battle to outwit Alexander to see which one of them would ask for a divorce first after their arranged marriage, boy was I wrong.
Alexander is a damaged, controlling pig; his underhand methods to track Imogen and prevent any chance of conception are irredeemable and why Imogen basically shrugs it off is unbelievable. I thoroughly disliked him and wanted Imogen to sign the divorce papers and high tail it back to California. There’s a fine art in creating a charismatic, controlling MMC and it’s definitely not achieved here.
The 180° turn in their feelings towards each other didn’t make sense as it was too rushed. I can’t stand it when a potentially strong FMC turns into a limp noodle so quickly.
This might have worked better as a 2 book series, with better character development and creating a somewhat likeable alpha MMC as the story progresses.
November 23, 2025
This book was so bad that I can’t even put it in words 😭 Every second of reading this book was pure agony!! I’m so glad that I’m done.
The plot of this book is WILD, because who gets sold when they aren’t even born yet? 💀 The MMC is also the biggest piece of shit ever, if red flags could walk he would look like that 🚩 Some things he did made me SO mad!!
The first 60% of the book was just dumb but it somehow became a bit better in the last 40%. That’s also the only reason this is getting 2 stars, I was so 🤏🏻 close to giving it 1 star.
Glad I’m done with it, I’m not even bothering with the other books in the series xx
— Read with Sam <3
The plot of this book is WILD, because who gets sold when they aren’t even born yet? 💀 The MMC is also the biggest piece of shit ever, if red flags could walk he would look like that 🚩 Some things he did made me SO mad!!
The first 60% of the book was just dumb but it somehow became a bit better in the last 40%. That’s also the only reason this is getting 2 stars, I was so 🤏🏻 close to giving it 1 star.
Glad I’m done with it, I’m not even bothering with the other books in the series xx
— Read with Sam <3
November 30, 2024
I was so glad this fmc fought for their relationship but I’m so glad the father did what he did because towards the end I wasn’t hoping for a hea , I wanted her to leave him lmfaoo but this was a good read light spice , moderate pace , feisty fmc who doesn’t back down and stood her ground even though she wasn’t raised that way . I do wish he did more to win her back I had a love hate relationship with the mmc lmfaoo .
April 6, 2025
4.5
“Alexander De Vil isn’t a god. He’s the Devil dressed in a sharp suit.”
“ I pretend this isn’t an arranged marriage, and that the man waiting for me at the chapel is my soul mate.”
“The death of my unwanted marriage by a thousand cuts.”
Devoured this book! Can’t wait for Nicolas’s book
“Alexander De Vil isn’t a god. He’s the Devil dressed in a sharp suit.”
“ I pretend this isn’t an arranged marriage, and that the man waiting for me at the chapel is my soul mate.”
“The death of my unwanted marriage by a thousand cuts.”
Devoured this book! Can’t wait for Nicolas’s book
November 17, 2025
4.25 ✨ Do you love rich, unhinged men? Of course you do, so go ahead and pick this one up and have yourself a grand ol’ time. Honestly, this was chicken soup for the unhinged soul. The plot was delicious, Alexander and Imogen both have the same goal - getting the other to end their arranged marriage first. It was how to lose a guy in ten days meets billionaire romance. You know where the this story goes, but you’ll eat it up anyway. Did I mention Christian has 4 siblings? The next one is already downloaded.
✨Thank you Hambright PR and Tracie Delaney for the E-ARC✨
✨Thank you Hambright PR and Tracie Delaney for the E-ARC✨
February 6, 2025
Why I keep reading books based on random booktok recommendations when I know very well I won't like them that much and I'll end up giving them 1 or 2 stars I have no idea! They're repetitive and get boring in the middle, but do I devour them? Absolutely. That aside, this one isn't bad but forced pregnancy isn't my thing
December 5, 2024
ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
I’ve said this many times but personally, the first books in the series are always a great way to enter the style of the series but rarely are the best. The author is getting used to the pace, and the characters and usually it’s with the second book that I find myself more comfortable with everything. It has happened a lot of times that I enjoyed the first one but it’s the second/third book that makes me go wild. And I believe this to be true for this series.
“The Devil's Pawn” is the first novel of the “The De Vil’s dynasty” series. In this first installment, we follow Alexander and Imogen’s adventure of their arranged marriage. Imogen does not wish to get married to Alexander since she has just finished her degree and has aspirations for her future. On the other hand, Alexander also does not wish to get married, especially to someone he never met before and both internally decide they will get divorced asap. Except life has other plans.
It’s the bantering that makes this book for me! The way Imogen and Alexander both want the same thing and yet fight for it and just end up falling in love with each other is adorable. Imogen is clearly not the obedient girl her family promised, but in order to avoid repercussions on her parents, she agrees to the deed. She doesn’t even want kids right away but believes Alexander does so she just fights their attraction, which ends up being hilarious because Alexander does not want to get married or even have kids. The reason for that is a spoiler, but it did give depth to Alexander’s character.
While Imogen has fire, Alexander is definitely an alpha-h*le! The things he does to her without her consent are pretty bad, sometimes he controls her because he cares and it is a reflection of his past, which ends up being more on the morally grey side because he has reasons. But other times I was finding it really hard to root for him, Alexander, honey, what the hell are you doing? Just talk to her and you’ll see that she’s on the same boat as you. In “The Devil’s Pawn” there’s no miscommunication because they’d have to communicate and a lot of time it’s fighting, and seducing each other, which I loved. It was the best part of their story.
I find it sweet that “The Devil’s Pawn” can actually be considered for both Imogen and Alexander. In reality, I believe Alexander was the one who was more of a pawn of his family rather than Imogen. Alexander did not want a wife, he was played by his father and tasted a lot of his own medicine at the hands of his family. So while at the beginning I really believed Imogen to be the pawn, in the end, I figured it was Alexander.
The novel does handle some good themes such as having kids, trauma, and communication within a relationship so this does have a lot of serious topics to talk about. I really enjoy when authors show how couples open themselves, even though they don’t really have to. No one is learning how to have a relationship through romance. But I find it sweet when authors go there and explore how trusting each other talking, and being open about one’s wishes really helps.
While Alexander and Imogen’s story had moments of fun, moments for some thoughts, and spice and it was a very enjoyable read, the real fun starts in the next book because I can just predict that Victoria will be a riot to read! Victoria is my type of girl and I swear if Nichola is an idiot to her, I will st*b him!
I’ve said this many times but personally, the first books in the series are always a great way to enter the style of the series but rarely are the best. The author is getting used to the pace, and the characters and usually it’s with the second book that I find myself more comfortable with everything. It has happened a lot of times that I enjoyed the first one but it’s the second/third book that makes me go wild. And I believe this to be true for this series.
“The Devil's Pawn” is the first novel of the “The De Vil’s dynasty” series. In this first installment, we follow Alexander and Imogen’s adventure of their arranged marriage. Imogen does not wish to get married to Alexander since she has just finished her degree and has aspirations for her future. On the other hand, Alexander also does not wish to get married, especially to someone he never met before and both internally decide they will get divorced asap. Except life has other plans.
It’s the bantering that makes this book for me! The way Imogen and Alexander both want the same thing and yet fight for it and just end up falling in love with each other is adorable. Imogen is clearly not the obedient girl her family promised, but in order to avoid repercussions on her parents, she agrees to the deed. She doesn’t even want kids right away but believes Alexander does so she just fights their attraction, which ends up being hilarious because Alexander does not want to get married or even have kids. The reason for that is a spoiler, but it did give depth to Alexander’s character.
While Imogen has fire, Alexander is definitely an alpha-h*le! The things he does to her without her consent are pretty bad, sometimes he controls her because he cares and it is a reflection of his past, which ends up being more on the morally grey side because he has reasons. But other times I was finding it really hard to root for him, Alexander, honey, what the hell are you doing? Just talk to her and you’ll see that she’s on the same boat as you. In “The Devil’s Pawn” there’s no miscommunication because they’d have to communicate and a lot of time it’s fighting, and seducing each other, which I loved. It was the best part of their story.
I find it sweet that “The Devil’s Pawn” can actually be considered for both Imogen and Alexander. In reality, I believe Alexander was the one who was more of a pawn of his family rather than Imogen. Alexander did not want a wife, he was played by his father and tasted a lot of his own medicine at the hands of his family. So while at the beginning I really believed Imogen to be the pawn, in the end, I figured it was Alexander.
The novel does handle some good themes such as having kids, trauma, and communication within a relationship so this does have a lot of serious topics to talk about. I really enjoy when authors show how couples open themselves, even though they don’t really have to. No one is learning how to have a relationship through romance. But I find it sweet when authors go there and explore how trusting each other talking, and being open about one’s wishes really helps.
While Alexander and Imogen’s story had moments of fun, moments for some thoughts, and spice and it was a very enjoyable read, the real fun starts in the next book because I can just predict that Victoria will be a riot to read! Victoria is my type of girl and I swear if Nichola is an idiot to her, I will st*b him!
October 3, 2025
ARC Review: The Devil’s Pawn
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️1/2
The Devil’s Pawn by Tracie Delaney was such a fun twist on the enemies-to-lovers vibe. Right from the start, you’re thrown into this arranged marriage setup where the heroine is basically sold off to Alexander De Vil—the brooding, morally gray heir of a powerful dynasty. It’s got all the billionaire drama you’d expect, but what I loved most was how she refused to just roll over and play the dutiful wife. She’s feisty, clever, and not afraid to play mind games of her own.
The back-and-forth between her and Alexander kept me hooked. Their banter, the tension, the push and pull—it all blurred the line between love and hate in the best way. And when the romance heats up? Yeah… it definitely delivers on the steam.
If you’re into billionaire romance with a unique enemies-to-lovers edge, I highly recommend diving into The Devil’s Pawn.
Thank you to @tracie_delaney_author and @hambright_pr for sending me an ARC to review!
#HPRTheDevilsPawn
#TracieDelaney
#HambrightPR
#booksta
#bookstagrammer
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️1/2
The Devil’s Pawn by Tracie Delaney was such a fun twist on the enemies-to-lovers vibe. Right from the start, you’re thrown into this arranged marriage setup where the heroine is basically sold off to Alexander De Vil—the brooding, morally gray heir of a powerful dynasty. It’s got all the billionaire drama you’d expect, but what I loved most was how she refused to just roll over and play the dutiful wife. She’s feisty, clever, and not afraid to play mind games of her own.
The back-and-forth between her and Alexander kept me hooked. Their banter, the tension, the push and pull—it all blurred the line between love and hate in the best way. And when the romance heats up? Yeah… it definitely delivers on the steam.
If you’re into billionaire romance with a unique enemies-to-lovers edge, I highly recommend diving into The Devil’s Pawn.
Thank you to @tracie_delaney_author and @hambright_pr for sending me an ARC to review!
#HPRTheDevilsPawn
#TracieDelaney
#HambrightPR
#booksta
#bookstagrammer
June 7, 2025
Sorry, but this was a big no for me, why ?
- The MMC, A mega a**hole. like even when he finally "explained" his actions to the FMC, he showed zero remorse. That’s an immediate red flag and a total dealbreaker.
- The story dragged in too many places, it felt way too long. The only thing I enjoyed was their banter at the very beginning. but everything went downhill from there.
We don’t even get any real action until about 75% into the book.
- Their relationship? Well it gave off a lil bit of Stockholm syndrome vibes. One scene that especially made me cringe was when he sent her friend away and then manipulated the FMC into thinking her friend was in the way of their "progress." ughh i wanted to shave off his other eyebrow and the rest of his hair.
in the end I'm curious about Vicky and Nicolas’s story, so I’ll add the second book to my TBR x)
- The MMC, A mega a**hole. like even when he finally "explained" his actions to the FMC, he showed zero remorse. That’s an immediate red flag and a total dealbreaker.
- The story dragged in too many places, it felt way too long. The only thing I enjoyed was their banter at the very beginning. but everything went downhill from there.
We don’t even get any real action until about 75% into the book.
- Their relationship? Well it gave off a lil bit of Stockholm syndrome vibes. One scene that especially made me cringe was when he sent her friend away and then manipulated the FMC into thinking her friend was in the way of their "progress." ughh i wanted to shave off his other eyebrow and the rest of his hair.
in the end I'm curious about Vicky and Nicolas’s story, so I’ll add the second book to my TBR x)
December 26, 2024
I have mixed feelings about the book. While I enjoyed it, it didn't stand out as exceptional. I can’t shake the impression that I was somewhat influenced into liking it.
I appreciated the witty banter and the pranks the two characters pulled off. Some scenes were genuinely funny, and there was good chemistry between them.
However, the plot gave me whiplash with how quickly they switched from considering divorce to deciding to stay together.
Overall, I found the story enjoyable, and I’m eagerly looking forward to Nicolas's next book.
I appreciated the witty banter and the pranks the two characters pulled off. Some scenes were genuinely funny, and there was good chemistry between them.
However, the plot gave me whiplash with how quickly they switched from considering divorce to deciding to stay together.
Overall, I found the story enjoyable, and I’m eagerly looking forward to Nicolas's next book.
January 22, 2025
"He thinks I'm a pawn in his malicious game. But I'm nobody's pawn. Not even the Devil's".
Well written billionaire romance with arranged marriage, morally grey and possessive hero, virgin heroine, and enemies to lovers with a slow burn.
I loved the story of Alexander and Imogen, his 'little pawn', the first book in the De Vil Dynasty series. I can't wait to see how the rest of the family stories continue.
Well written billionaire romance with arranged marriage, morally grey and possessive hero, virgin heroine, and enemies to lovers with a slow burn.
I loved the story of Alexander and Imogen, his 'little pawn', the first book in the De Vil Dynasty series. I can't wait to see how the rest of the family stories continue.
September 28, 2025
Devil’s Pawn is beautifully written. It features arranged marriage, enemies-to-lovers, a billionaire MMC, and a virgin FMC.
I love how the author explored Alexander’s trauma and grief, showing how it shaped his attitude and the way he treated Imogene. Imogene, on the other hand, just wants to pursue her dream of being an architect and has no desire to marry.
It’s a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read, and I definitely recommend it.
Thank you to the author and Hambright PR for this ARC.
I love how the author explored Alexander’s trauma and grief, showing how it shaped his attitude and the way he treated Imogene. Imogene, on the other hand, just wants to pursue her dream of being an architect and has no desire to marry.
It’s a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read, and I definitely recommend it.
Thank you to the author and Hambright PR for this ARC.
October 22, 2025
✨𝒯𝒽ℴ𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈✨
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 was quite the roller coaster ride. I was initially drawn to the mafia storyline and the idea of enemies turning into lovers, but unfortunately, it didn’t work out for me. The writing is great but the main characters were difficult to like. When it comes to books, I’m easy to please and I could overlook many things, but what I couldn’t overlook were certain actions by the MMC that really put me off. The female lead seemed to only stand up for herself selectively. I gritted my teeth so many times. I wanted that fierce lioness to defend herself. The MMC gaslit her frequently, which was another negative aspect of his character. I just saw no redeemable qualities in either of them.
𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗲 everything, I have to admit that a story that evokes feelings, good or bad, is always a plus because you will keep reading! I think there’s so much potential. I’m definitely invested and will continue with the next book. Many thanks to the author and 𝗛𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗣𝗥 for providing this ARC, all opinions expressed here are honest and my own.
𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆: 𝟯.𝟱⭐️ 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿: 𝟮/𝟱🌶️
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 was quite the roller coaster ride. I was initially drawn to the mafia storyline and the idea of enemies turning into lovers, but unfortunately, it didn’t work out for me. The writing is great but the main characters were difficult to like. When it comes to books, I’m easy to please and I could overlook many things, but what I couldn’t overlook were certain actions by the MMC that really put me off. The female lead seemed to only stand up for herself selectively. I gritted my teeth so many times. I wanted that fierce lioness to defend herself. The MMC gaslit her frequently, which was another negative aspect of his character. I just saw no redeemable qualities in either of them.
𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗲 everything, I have to admit that a story that evokes feelings, good or bad, is always a plus because you will keep reading! I think there’s so much potential. I’m definitely invested and will continue with the next book. Many thanks to the author and 𝗛𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗣𝗥 for providing this ARC, all opinions expressed here are honest and my own.
𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆: 𝟯.𝟱⭐️ 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿: 𝟮/𝟱🌶️
December 13, 2024
5/5⭐️
I loved this one! It was my first my Tracie Delaney but definitely not my last 🔥
These were such complex characters. I loved seeing the growth they had throughout the book. The slowwwww burnnn. The mmc was definitely a little unhinged lol and made some choice decisions 😂
But I loved how everything turned out in the end! That ending tho 👀 the lead up for the next book has me dyinggggg for it! (This book is a standalone , the next book is other characters)
I loved this one! It was my first my Tracie Delaney but definitely not my last 🔥
These were such complex characters. I loved seeing the growth they had throughout the book. The slowwwww burnnn. The mmc was definitely a little unhinged lol and made some choice decisions 😂
But I loved how everything turned out in the end! That ending tho 👀 the lead up for the next book has me dyinggggg for it! (This book is a standalone , the next book is other characters)
November 23, 2025
this book was awful. the amount of times that the MMC crossed lines a man should never cross yet the FMC forgives him every time. and also what is with these books and the FMC being okay that the MMC is a serial killer??
this book was just so bad and i’m so so glad it’s over
—read with fi 🤍
this book was just so bad and i’m so so glad it’s over
—read with fi 🤍
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