Sympathy for the Devil

by Nichole Fallon

This was supposed to be her punishment, not her forever...

Asher Blackstock is everything I'm gorgeous, cold, calculated. A monster.
He's made my life miserable since the day my brother brought him home for the first time.
I don't know why he wants me to work for him, but it'll never happen.
Until he has me blackballed from every talent agency in the state.
He's my only option... and I'm right where he wants at his mercy.
But the strings tied to this position are tight enough to choke.
Or maybe that's his hands.
One month in his bed may cost my soul.
But if he wants to own me, I intend to take his soul, too.
I just never thought I’d love his rough possession this much... or find myself falling for the man I swore to hate.

Sympathy for the Devil is a dark brother's best friend romance featuring an obsessed, morally gray billionaire and a plus-size heroine.

Genres: Dark Romance, Enemies To Lovers

331 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 6, 2026

Reviews

[Darlene I read WAY to many books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brielle thinks Asher hated her guts because of a accident that happened to the 2 of them. Which she thinks shes to blame. And Asher wants her to think he hates her he's mean to her sorta humiliates her. But he truly wants her. They have a hate/love relationship and now that hes blacklisted her so she works for him so he can cash in a 30 days your mine. Brielle does cash in because she wants 5 mill to start her own company.

The two are back and forth. Asher does some humiliated things towards her. Its delicious and sinful. Lord these 2. But there is drama from the past and few accidents that happen. Asher does push away Brielle for a moment when another accident almost took her life again.

Saftey-there relationship with others Is mentioned. Brielle mentioned she would date and flirt but nothing else happened she wanted to piss off Asher. As for Asher he took woman on dated to be photographed but nothing else.

No ow/om drama, no cheating, Drama, sexy times, virgin gal no manwhore

Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶🌶

Slowinsta
Small age gap
Anal
Rimming
Anal Fisting
Forced Orgasms
Orgasm Denial
Choking
Breath Play
Inappropriate Use of Office Supplies
Public Sex
Fisting
Voyeurism
Dom/sub
No Safewords
Primal Play
Degradation
Humiliation
Biting
Somnophilia
Bondage
Dubious Consent
Spanking
Blood Play
Suicidal Ideation
Violence
No condom
Hea
Epilogue

[Lemon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot: 4/5 • Smut: 5/5 —————> Children of the rich and famous movie stars that tragically pass away, Brielle & Liam. Brielle has been in love with Liam’s best friend, Archer, since she was a teenager. When she’s sixteen she confesses her love to Archer when he’s driving her home one night. He rejects her at all costs. He does damage control and shuts her down, but she’s not having it. Jumps over the console and kisses him. They kiss and blow a red light causing an accident where Bri dies in Archers hands for three minutes.


Fast forward to their grown up years. Archer has made Bri’s life a living hell. Stoping her from dating, getting a job, everything at all costs. “He’s protecting her” “he’s here to make her life miserable”. He gives her an offer - be his for 30 days and he’ll rescind the blacklist he put on her so she can get a job. She demands 5 million $ to agree to the terms.


Now heres where it starts to get a little predictable. The smut is great. The passion between them is fantastic. I love that neither of them wants to bow to the other. In the end though? They both crawl. We do in fact get a third act break up. Meh. Sometimes they’re warranted. Like this time. Damn Archer, you fucked up.


This is a standalone so eventually we do get HEA. There is my least favorite trope (I know, I know sometimes I’m alone on this) of surprise pregnancy. However, I knew it was coming by the amount of screwing they were doing and she openly said she wasn’t on birth control… and still did nothing about it.


If you love a revenge plot, brothers best friend, contract, smutty romance. This may be for you.

[Cristina]

No rating.

The book isn’t for me. Both MCs act like they hate each other, but secretly lust after each other. Degradation, backdoor play, tons of ‘I hate you’.

[Nichole Loza · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are wanting a sweet, Instalove story, Sympathy for the Devil is not the story you want to read. Sympathy for the Devil is a dark romance, with very dark subject matter, and broken characters. Do not look to this book give you a golden retriever MMC, or a sweet and shy MFC, you will not find that in this book. If you like broken, tormented men, women who fight for what they want, then this is book for you. I love Nichole Fallon’s characters, they are not perfect, in fact, I actually quite disliked Asher at the beginning of the book. I hated him, I hated what he did to Brielle, how he treated her, how he controlled every aspect of her life. The trigger warnings are long in this book and before jumping in, make sure you know what you are reading. But Sympathy for the Devil is so beautifully written, you can feel the pain of the characters, my heart broke for both Asher and Brielle, for their past traumas, how they are so intertwined with each other. Sometimes I wanted to yell at Brielle to walk away, to run, but then she would go back for more, and Asher would punish Brielle. The spice level in this book is a ten, there is nothing held back. I could not put this book down. Pre-order your copy today.

[Kayla Lietzau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED it!!! Wow this book literally blew me away!!! Once I started I couldn’t put it down!!
Brielle & Asher have an EXPLOSIVE relationship!!! It’s messy, gut wrenching and beautiful!
These two broken souls are soulmates but nothing is easy when it comes to them.
Asher is so hard and it’s maddening the way he acts at times.
Brielle is a strong stubborn bada** who also makes maddening choices.
Together these two are oil & water and truly explosive!! Like HOLY 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
My heart hurt for them both. It was beautiful to see them finally get on common ground but all that happens before that… WHOA!
I truly loved this book! If you have triggers please be sure to read them before reading this one!!!
I hope there is more of these stories to come!! I’m kind of obsessed! Highly highly recommend it!!!

[Amanda Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know when the first thing you do after finishing a book is to text your bestie and tell her she has to read it..then it’s a good book.
🖤Please check the TW and make sure you can handle them.🖤
This isn’t a sweet and playful story. Asher is dark and has demons and doesn’t care who he hurts..Brielle is in love with him..but she also hates him..or so she says.
This book had me all in my feelings!! I got mad and sad and felt my heart break for Asher and Brielle. They both deserved to be happy and I know Asher was a major jerk but he shows us a side of him we didn’t think we would ever see.
If you have the time..get ready because when you start it..you won’t wanna put it down until you finish it.
5 ⭐️
4 🌶️

[april ♡ probably reading smut - safety reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 "My God, you're a monster."
"Maybe, but we both know you've always fucking loved monsters, haven't you?"

TROPES:
-friends to enemies to lovers
-DARK (read triggers!)
-brother's best friend
-stalking
-boss/employee
-age gap
-he buys & uses her

Omg. This book was so incredibly spicy and amazing, I'm still fanning myself! Asher and Brielle have a long history. He's her brother's best friend, and also her first love. Five years ago, she confessed to him, then they were in a very traumatic accident. They both feel guilty so they pretend to hate each other for it. He thinks he can get her out of his system, so he forces her to work for him, buys her and tells her to do everything he says for one month only. She has no other choice but to say yes.

She'll scream and cry and bleed and beg. She'll let me fuck her and break her and claim every inch of her body. And when I'm the only thing that exists for her, when my name is the only one she remembers, and she can't tell pain from pleasure, maybe I'll finally be able to let her go.

Their love for each other is very intense, and they show it by hating each other instead of confessing their feelings. She constantly tries to rile him up, and he constantly dominates her. In every way. Omg, this book was so spicy!

You fucking love being chained beside me, almost as much as you loved having my cock down your throat while the whole board pretended not to hear you choking on it. AHHHH!

Nichole is an incredible author. The way she writes pulls you in, hurts your heart, and makes you feel things. This book is spicy and dark, yes, but it's a tale of healing after something traumatizing. In addition to it being hot as hell, it's incredibly heartwarming at some moments. I really enjoyed it! Can't wait to see what she writes next.

SAFETY & SPOILERS:
Virgin/celibate: virgin heroine (surprise vcard scene- he didn't know she was a virgin), celibate hero (it's mentioned that he's been celibate since he met her 5 years ago)
OM/OW: no OW. she tries to make him jealous with OM (no touching or anything!) but he handles her and the OM because he's possessive as hell lol
Cheating/sharing: none at all
Kinks: anal, bdsm, bloodplay, breathplay/choking, degradation, dirty talk, edging, exhibitionism/public (she gives MMC a BJ in front of someone who wants her to prove she doesn't want OM), forced orgasms, hand necklaces, rough sex, somno, spanking, orgasm denial, dubcon, primal, "crawl to me", NO SAFEWORDS.
Triggers: dubcon, car accident where she actually dies for a few minutes, no safewords but agreed BDSM so it's consensual.
HEA?: yes!

My bookshelves may contain spoilers.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This floored me. I'm not usually one that thrives on angst in a book, but in this book it hooked me. There was a lot of it. Asher and Brielle's feelings for each other were so complex and twisted. Asher was dark and damaged. He was a devil and he liked it that way. It kept everyone away. I think Brielle was the only woman on earth able to handle him. That's mainly because she loves him unconditionally. It didn't matter if it was to her own detriment. He owned her soul. I loved that as the story went on she learned more and more about how deep his obsession with her went. I need an obsessed and possessive MMC and Asher was perfect for that. And he stalks her? Score another one for me! That's my favorite trope. Asher carries a lot of guilt, so much that he is tarnished with it. Brielle does too. He's not alone in that regard. Brielle was a strong heroine. I really loved her. She gave as good as she got. She may have gotten mad at me, but over the years she also got even. Lol. She tortured him by flirting with other men. And I absolutely love the results of that. Wow. There was also a sweetness to Asher when it came to Brielle. When it showed you could see how much he loved her. I really did not want it to end. I could keep reading through kids, college and retirement. 😂

I received a complimentary copy and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

[Mattea McConnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Symphony for the Devil definitely hits its trigger warnings. Please be aware of those provided by the author and your own limits. This story is about Asher (MMC) and Brielle (FMC). Asher is best friend with Brielle’s brother and came into her life when she was in her teens. Brielle is the daughter of a beloved movie star and lost her parents to an accident as a teenager. The world wants to see Brielle take her mother’s place, filling the void that was left with her loss; but Brielle just wants to carve her own path for her life and live it outside of her mother’s shadow.

When I started reading this book, I absolutely despised Asher; the way he manipulated Brielle and did his best to gain control of him. It’s not until you are well into their dynamic that you learn of their tormented past, and what leads them to be so twisted around each other. This tale is not your standard rom com, as it has many twists, and turns, but through it, I started routing for both Asher and Brielle. There is spice and passion, and angst all rolled into one. The further along the story went, the further I rooted for Asher to find his way and realize his worth or at least learn to accept Brielle’s belief that he was worthy. This is a dynamic story, with heart and soul. I laughed, I cried but most of all, I felt! So, if you are looking for a read that will keep you on the edge and have you fighting to step away, this is a story for you.

[Rainbowlovesbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes! Just yes!

Nichole has delivered above and beyond in Sympathy for the Devil and what a way to kick-start 2026 then with a dark romance.

I love Nichole's instalove work, and her grittier, dark romances are just as amazing. You do not want to miss this Brother's Best Friend, off limits, Morally Gray (my favourite colour) Billionaire, plus size fmc, dark romance.

Brielle and Asher are complex characters that both want one another, but just when it might be their time an accident changes everything. Both suffering from mental, emotional and physical harm they just can't find away to one another without hurt and hate being in the mix.

30 days though could change or that, 30 days to get over one another and finally have some freedom. Or 30 days that will cause more harm then good and cause more hatred to flow.

What you can expect
🩶 Dark Romance
🩶 Angst
🩶 High Heat
🩶 Off-Limits
🩶 Brother's Best Friend
🩶 Dual POV
🩶 Virgin FMC
🩶 Standalone Read
🩶 5 Stars
🩶 Morally Grey MMC
🩶 Strong Willed FMC
🩶 Long Term Mutual Want
🩶 Money in Exchange For 30 Days
🩶 HEA

Honestly an amazing read that I didn't want to put down. I loved every high and low of it. 5 stars.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fair warning, this book is dark and angsty and you’re going to hate the MMC until you don’t. Isn’t that how the best dark romances are?! This is a best friends little sister, bully/toxic romance with all the emotions. I despised Asher for a good part of the book, but in the best way, and then he redeemed himself. Brielle was bratty, made of steel and yet needed to feel alive in a way only Asher could make her. This one has a mile long list of trigger warnings, so be very mindful of that. Wasn’t a big fan of them forcing other people to be non consenting witnesses or that she was degraded in a business sense too, but that’s the darkness for you. I wasn’t sure how to feel about her brother either, but he seemed to redeem himself a bit in my eyes too. What i loved about this one though is she made him grovel and work on himself first and then they communicated (finally) they’re way through it. It was actually a very mature and sweet ending, which I loved after all the darkness. No cheating or OM/OW drama, virgin FMC, dual POV, lots of triggers and kinks, HEA and a sweet and spicy epilogue in the future. Kind of want Liam and Connor to have a book as well, feel like that one would be super interesting and steamy too.

[Dawnmarie Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a deliciously dark and twisted page-turning emotional broken billionaire, brother's best-friend, morally grey,obsessed, steamy romance featuring Asher and Brielle who experienced a life altering trauma together. They don't know how to move on from that night so they both keep punishing each other for it. Asher has had a sad and tragic life he's experienced a lot of loss and abuse as well as trauma starting with finding his parents murdered so he's hard. Asher always had his best friend who happens to be Brielle's brother so he noticed her long before he should have and he never stopped noticing everything about Brielle. Brielle and her brother have experienced their own share of tragedy when their famous movie star parents who the world loved died in an accident. Everyone expected Brielle to take her mother's place but she wanted to to make her own way so she had to grow a thick skin which made her strong and she really only spent time with Asher and her brother. Brielle has had feelings for Asher for a long time but the one time that she tried to tell him Asher cruelly rejected her and there were long lasting tragic consequences that left scars. Asher is a hard,broken man who doesn't know how to fight his demons or to show that he cares about anyone. Asher thinks that he has to use blackmail and coercion with threats to get what he wants and even though he has feelings for Brielle he doesn't think that he deserves her. That's why Asher treats her so cruelly because she's strong enough to keep coming back for more and he won't let her go Brielle is his. These two can't stop hurting each other long enough to see that they actually belong together, they're soulmates. Will Asher finally realize what he had in Brielle once he succeeds in breaking her or is Brielle too strong to break? You really need to read this deliciously dark and twisted page-turning emotional broken billionaire, brother's best-friend, morally grey, obsessed, steamy romance to see what happens. I would recommend reading this well-written intense dark romance if this is your genre this is your book just check the trigger warnings!
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tiffany Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!

"Sympathy for the Devil" is a standalone dark romance featuring a broken and tortured male main character (MMC) and a strong, independent, yet at times frustrating female main character (FMC). The love story between Asher and Brielle is truly complicated and complex, and I felt every raw, jagged piece of their journey. Nightmares from their shared past trauma haunt both Asher and Brielle. Asher believes he doesn't deserve love or Brielle, yet he can't imagine living without her. He attempts to push her away, but continually fails. Meanwhile, Brielle wants to hate Asher, but the more she tries to despise him, the harder it becomes. This tension escalates until Asher finally confesses the dark secrets he has been holding onto.

The author truly outdid herself, crafting amazing characters like Asher and Brielle and developing a captivating world around them. I couldn't put this book down—I devoured their story in one sitting.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Melissa Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nichole Fallon is the pen name for rom com sweet romance author Nichole Rose. If you are expecting a sweet fun book with Sympathy for the Devil you will be disappointed but if you are looking for a dark romance with trigger warnings to be used as a checklist then this book is for you. Asher and Brielle are two torture souls who bring out the worse in each other. I absolutely hated Asher and his behavior toward Brielle in the beginning of the book. As the story progressed I felt Asher's tormented soul and actually was rooting for this morally grey character. Brielle is not a soft FMC she is fierce and equally obsessed with Asher. The emotional tie between them is heartbreaking. Absolutely 5 stars!!

[Christina Ricketts · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an emotional journey. This story is full of ups and downs, and what happens when we let guilt and fear control us.

Asher is rich, powerful... and a total jerk to Brielle. But she wants him anyways. After accepting his proposal, she's at the mercy of his cruelty and passion. Will they find a way to move forward through their past, or is this relationship doomed from the start?

I am here for the Nichol Fallon dark romances. They are full of emotion, pain, and love. This one is no different. I cried so much during this story but it was totally worth it. If you're looking to start your journey into dark romance, start here! They're dark enough to be emotionally damaging but there's no ott shock factor. Can't wait for the next!

[Didi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obsession, possession, pain, pride, desolation, perseverance, revelations and redemption in love. I found this and more in this riveting tale of two damaged people clawing their way to a forever. Asher and Brielle’s story had me totally invested in their journey. It was raw, emotional and gritty but also beautiful in its own way. Their chemistry, and passion lit the pages. Well written, soul deep story definitely worth the read. Do check your triggers.

[Jet Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story hits every trigger warning there is. In this story these two are broken individuals and have no idea how to admit how broken they are. The accident, the love and the anger makes up majority of their relationship and it take a lot for them to fix each other and make what wrongs that were done to each other right.

I received this book as an ARC copy and loved it.

[Rmqbookqueen · Rating 4 out of 5]

After I got used to the dynamic between these two I have to say that I ate up the rest of the book so fast. The darkness in their romance and just within them was so intriguing and complex. If you want to read a darker book with just as much smutty romance, I’d say give this a try and see if you liked it as much as I did.

Also shout out to Nichole Fallon for always giving us the endings we deserve.🥰🔥

[Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! It has lots of triggers, so make sure you look through them before you dive in if there's stuff you don't like.
Asher and Brielle had me wanting more and more of their story. Ugh! It was so good. It has everything you need when it comes to plot and smut. It's amazing!

[JaneH · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars, spice without romance

Asher and Brielle's story is, at times, very difficult to read. I usually enjoy spicy dominant MMC’s but Asher really was borderline terrifying. Brielle didn’t seem to object to much though.
There is some romancing, not a lot until the epilogue.

[Christy Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it, great love story. Asher and Brielle love story. they where oil and water. he loved and obsessed over her. she hated and loved. if any man look at Brielle, Asher made them pay. I loved everything about this book. it was a great book.

[Sil Hines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aces for Sympathy for the Devil. It was the spicy goodness we’ve come to love from Nichole Fallon. Well written, and the story itself was total fire!!! 🔥 10 stars if I could!!

[Blue]

BFF sister

[rosebt · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s a little boring. Tons of descriptive sex. The girl (I don’t even remember her name) went from an inexperienced virgin to a nympho in 5 minutes. Just rushed and unreal. Almost no plot.

[SaucyBishReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no sympathy for how much I absolutely LOVED this book!

Asher is called a monster and aptly so! Brielle wants to be seen and who better to see straight through you into who you are than a monster?

I had such a hard time putting this story down. I found myself wanting to just read it when I had to stop and falling back into their story when I picked it up again.

The tension, the banter, the way the environment around these two heats up and ignites, the trauma, the feelings, the feels, the drama, the pain, their story…. hands down my favorite Nichole read!

I cannot recommend this book enough, especially if you’re looking for a morally grey mmc that knows what he wants and takes it unapologetically and the woman who needs and wants him to!

[Rah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I liked it more.

[Kyareth14 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book that I finish starting this new year, and I think it’s a story with a dark plot that I enjoy reading. Nichole gives us some characters that in each chapter make you wonder why they are together? But Asher and Brielle were each other’s complement, and everything between them seemed to be wrong, but in my mind the two were finding a way to love each other. This reading kept me glued to each chapter and I like it, I definitely want more of N. Fallon.

[Eve Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an ARC review for my honest opinion.

If you have triggers of any kind this is not for you. This is not a sunshine and rainbows kinda book.
This book was so good and on some parts it made my eyebrows meet my hairline. But nevertheless that made me want to keep reading. I love a good love, romance, and sprinkled with a little be of toxic. But I enjoyed this book can't wait for the next one.

[Michele79 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowza! What a fantastic book. It is definitely a dark romance and it was so darn good. I devoured the book in one sitting. 5 stars for this book.