He had it all… Good looks. Thriving business. Beautiful fiancée. Life for casino owner David Carrone and his sweetheart Athena Lewis was at its peak—until a scandal of lies, a secret from his past, and an unspeakable tragedy tore a wide rift between them.
He lost it all… With his reputation in question, his business in ruins, and his world crumbling around him, David sets out to find the bastards who dared to come after all he holds dear. But he isn’t the only one out for revenge and when the last good thing in his life is taken, David is no longer playing by the rules.
He risked it all… For the woman he loves, David is prepared to give his life. But death is not an option. He has to find Tena. But to do that, he must face his demons and unleash the monster he keeps buried within…Because when risking it all for the one you love, sometimes you have to face the devil with a demon...
Lena Hart is an author of sensual romances with alpha heroes and smart, sexy heroines. She's a proud member of Romance Writers of America, busy writing more happily ever afters. A Florida-native, Lena currently lives in New York City with her two calico kitties, Duchess and Daisy. When she is not writing, she's reading, researching, or conferring with her muse.
This is the last chapter in David and Athena's story.
The couple are in love and engaged and just when they think they are going to glide into the sunset a whole host of events are coming against David, which obviously impacts on Athena. Although they promised each other no secrets and total honesty, they both have secrets they are holding back from each other because they don't want to hurt the other person. Unfortunately, instead of protecting each other they are shattering each other with the lack of total transparency in their relationship. David has to embrace the dark side of himself in order to protect the woman he loves.
This was a suspenseful but heartbreaking read. The cost of not being totally honest about where you are in your relationship can cost you more, than if you are honest and open.
Lena Hart's, "The Devil's Bedpost" was an Emotional, yet Intriguing read. I absolutely love me some David and Tena. Their character chemistry has always been incredible in all of the stories that I've read that included them. No spoilers from me, but I'm still trying to recover, lol. Lena Hart is a very gifted writer and I'm a huge fan.
David Carrone and his fiance Athena "Tena" Lewis think their relationship is hitting a rocky patch. But neither of them expected the sudden changes in either of their behavior to come next. David is struggling with keeping his business afloat. He isn't one for romantic gestures yet he does love Tena. Tena is working hard as cyber-security specialist with a very special project. When a series of events leaves Tena feeling like David isn't listening to her. She knows that David is hiding something from her but doesn't know what. Will David come clean? Will Tena stay with David? What else is going on? Your answers await you in The Devil's Bedpost.
I really enjoyed this story. Normally I don't like reading a story in the middle or in this case the end. I found that I didn't have to have the stories that came before. The characters were gritty, raw, compelling, unique, complex, real, and honest.
Lena has done it again!! One of my favorites now in the series. The story had suspense drama and sexiness. All the characters plight were realistic which makes the story more moving. I laughed, I cried, I hoped.... it's rare to find good stories like this these days.
David and Tena are engaged but there is tension between them and both of them are not sure what to do about it. On top of that, both David and Tena have secrets they are keeping from one another. Will they be able to withstand the storm they are going through when the secrets are found out?
I received this book from the Goodreads First Reads program.
The blurb and the prologue promised dark and gritty. I was disappointed when the dark and gritty didn't really start until the last 100 pages. It took 200 pages for the background and setup and only 100 pages for the action and resolution. I personally would have preferred less setup and more meat to the promised storyline. I also found the storyline with her brother almost completely unnecessary. It leant very little to the overall plot progression. That all being said, I liked the premise. I liked the characters with all the flaws and relationships. I was happy with how it all came together in the end and the ultimate resolution.
I received this thru Goodreads giveaway! Thank you! To Lena Hart-thank you for writing an amazing book! It is the story of David Carrone and Athena Lewis. He is trying to have a life away from his father who is a crime boss in Las Vegas. But the public is making it very difficult. But circumstances beyond his control threaten to lead him to the life he does not want. He struggles with the life he wants and the life his father wants him to have. I will be reading more from this author that's for sure.
WOW. . . I got the ARC and this was a exciting read. You do not take the one thing in the world a man loves and think there will be no serious consequences. This was a dark, dangerous, deliciously sexy ride in to romance and suspense. This was my first introduction to David Carrone and his love Athena (Tena) Lewis. There seems to be so much more to their story than what I read, but let me say this I was not disappointed by what I did get. A man can only lose so much before he go nuclear. David lost that and that was when it seemed to really hit. The gloves came off and this turned in to a intense ride that was filled with his dark past, demons coming back, and confrontations that had been a long time coming.
This man loved his woman and would do anything to get her back. Their past has been full of so much. I got this just from this read. I did not need the other books to follow along with this one. Sometimes demons need to be met head on. David came ready to battle.
I thought Tena and David’s story was over. They overcame their obstacles, got engaged and were well on their way to their happily ever after. That should be the end, right? Lena Hart had other plans and so here we are revisiting Tena and David in The Devil’s Bedpost.
Because I had tied this story up so neatly in my head and was only interested in seeing other characters in the series from now on, I was a bit skeptical reading this book. I didn’t know what to expect and was hoping it wouldn’t regurgitate old material. I needed a decent storyline.
There was no cause for concern with Lena Hart though as she delivered a follow-up novel that I could not stop reading. The Devil’s Bedpost was by far the most emotional story in these series but it still managed to be sinful, sexy, and heartwarming.
The Devil’s Bedpost is sensual yet dangerous. I have always liked a bit of suspense with my romance and this book gave me that and then some. It definitely had more dangerous elements than recent books.
David’s life is seemingly perfect. After a bit of scandal last year, everything seems to be back on track. His business is booming, his enemies seem to be long gone and he is engaged to the love of his life. As we’ve seen with this series, though, nothing seems to stay perfect for too long. Pretty soon, everything around David seems to be crumbling. There are lawsuits, angry confrontations with his father, guilt over past decisions, and much more. Things seem to be getting worse and as they reach their breaking point instead of confiding in his fiance, he starts to lie to her. Tena soon picks up on this and before we know it, he ends up pushing her away although that was far from his intentions. However, what should have been temporary has the potential to be permanent as he may lose Tena for good thanks to an enemy he didn’t even know he had.
We see a different side of David Carrone in this novel. For years he has tried to distance himself from his father’s organization and live on the right side of the law. However, to fix his life and get this fiance back, David has to unleash inner demons he thought he had long buried to become the lethal man that gets the answers he craves. I liked that in this book we saw a more multi-dimensional character than we did before.
Though I have already given a mouthful, to prevent myself from spoiling anything else, I suggest you read His Bedpost Queen (and check out my review) if you’re new to the series. For those of you who are familiar with the series, visit Sin City once more and read The Devil’s Bedpost.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
David Carrone's life is finally perfect in his eyes. His business is going very well, and the love of his life has agreed to marry him. But with the family he comes from, nothing ever stays calm, even though he has nothing to do with the family business. Out of nowhere, his reputation is taking a new beating, his business is being attacked, and the secrets he's been forced to keep are being revealed, ruining his love life. If that isn't enough, revenge from an unknown source has taken his fiance. Athena Lewis loves her Davie more than life, but it seems like darkness is changing him, and she's not sure how much more she can take of his unwillingness to be honest with her. Not to mention, her past coming back, and the disappearance of her brother is definitely taking it's toll. She finally runs not knowing what else to do, and when she's taken, will she ever get the chance to apologize for the cruel things she last said to Davie? And will he be able to find her before it's too late?
WOW! What an exciting book that kept my heart racing cover to cover. This explosive ending to Tena and David's story is absolutely fantastic! It's so good, that I'm not sure that it should be over, hint hint! Their chemistry is off the charts hot, which always lead to a highly flammable fiery ball of sexy scene goodness that will take out anything in it's path. Lena Hart's talented writing style tied me to my chair until the very last page, and now I can't read another book tonight, as I don't feel done thinking about The Devil's Bedpost. Her diabolically brilliant twists and turns made for an f-bomb storm of epic proportions, and boy did I sound like a Sailor on a ship. Plus Tena and David are such easy characters to love hard, and they will be forever etched on my heart. Once again, I must state for the record, that this shouldn't be the end, as even a novella would be kindle crack! I can't say how much I LOVED this story enough, so I'll just HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
This take-no-prisoners romantic suspense pulls you in and holds you right up to the end. The organized crime element is up close and personal, and as determined as David is to not let it touch him, he’ll do anything to save the life of the woman he loves…so he does proceed to get his hands dirty.
This left me a ‘little’ perplexed and annoyed. If he was willing to do the one thing he said he’d never do, why couldn’t he AND Athena uphold their mutual agreement to be ‘open and honest’? Not saying it could, or would have changed the outcome…because crazy people were involved…but they could have avoided so much heartache. For as deep as their love is, it seemed altogether too easy for them to leave so many unsaid words between them. Yes, they were trying to “protect” each other, but everything came to the light anyway. Doing the wrong thing for the right reason never ends well. Anthony is proof of that. Glad Tena finally realized no one was responsible for Anthony except Anthony. Unfortunately, people we love make bad decisions.
Plenty of folks here to love-to-hate – Emily, Max, PRATT, and of course, Armond. I didn’t fault Armond for who he was, but he just enjoyed pulling his son into his world way too much. And the thing with Jessica? Whoa! Great plot twist! Sounds like she was a bit unhinged. An inherited trait, perhaps? Still wondering if Pratt believed David when he told him he’d done nothing wrong.
I'm sorry it took loss and lives on the line to give folks a much needed reality check, but in the end, it was good to see David and Tena get back to what really mattered. They may have a few bumps in the road ahead of them, but who doesn’t? At least they’re together.
I love stories that are full suspense and romance and this book had everything and more. There were times that I was saddened with the events that happened and what was happening between Tena and David. But they both had good times and they were meant to be. There was only one problem well maybe more than one but the biggest problem is lies. I was surprised with Tena and how much she took from David there were times that I wanted for her to leave him he was being such a pig headed man. He was hurting her with one big secret and he knew that the day she learned she would blame him. I knew that David loved her and would do anything to keep her safe but he needed to remember that she had the right to know what was going on. I felt bad for him for the things that were happening first because of the scandal then after that the fire in his casino/hotel. David and Tena are going to go through a rough journey before they can have a happily ever after.
The Devil’s Bedpost was a good read. The chemistry between David and Tena is great. They burnt up the sheets. There was only one thing that was missing a longer epilogue. There were still some things that were not answered. David was set on not having one thing when he got married but I could see that he was changing his mind but did he really. Other than that this story was great. The characters were developed perfectly. I could really feel the emotions of the characters in her writing.
David and Athena have been engaged for a year, David is wondering why Tena hasn’t brought up settiing a date. Both David and Tena have promised no secrets between them however David ends up with a huge secret that is eating away at him and his relationship with Tena. She can tell that something is wrong but he won’t open up to her.
We move forward with several other surprises and twists. David ends up being in debt to his father, a man that he never wanted to be involved with. We meet someone from Tena’s past and from David’s past. Things really heat up and you don’t know what’s going to happen next. I was on the edge of my seat. Will these two get a HEA? Can they work out their issues and finally set a date?
Lena Hart does a great job of pulling you right in with her writing. This was a great story and I loved seeing more from David and Tena. 1-click and get started today.
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed by MAustin from Alpha Book Club
Lena Hart does it again!!! A little while back I was given an advanced reader copy of a book by Lena Hart in exchange for an honest review. I had never heard of the author and the book was part 3 of her Queens Quartette series. I loved it! I not only was able to read it as a standalone book but I was hooked from the first page. So naturally when option to review this newest book came up I leaped at the chance. This is actually the final chapter in a trilogy featuring David Carrone and Athena Lewis. I, once again have not read the first 2 books, but I was aware of the characters since they were carried over from the other series I read.
The story had me from page 1. Yes, it is packed full of steamy, sexy bits but even if you stripped all of those parts out the plot would still have held my attention. This has a lot of tough issues that are tackled (note the disclaimer up above in the description) and some readers may not be comfortable with them. There are some pretty violent scenes but they come with the organized crime sort of life that lies beneath the surface of this love story. I actually yelled at the couple (aka my kindle) during one particular fight they were having about being "open and honest" because they were both lying. That is when I knew this would be a 5 star review on Goodreads and Amazon.
*I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review*
David Carrone has a thriving business and a wonderful finance. Being the son of one of the biggest mob families David has devoted his life to showing everyone that he is better than his family. He wants no ties to the family name. When a scandal breaks his cozy lifestyle trust will be tested. And once you think that is enough the punches keep coming. He will have no choice but to go to his family for help.
Athena Lewis has loved David since they were just kids. Now that they are engaged she feels like she might have it all. That is until her past comes back to haunt her as well. Not only does she have to deal with her past but David’s as well. When she ends up in danger she can only hope that David will come to save her.
This was a very interesting read. I will be honest and tell you to hold on to your seats. This book is full of love, suspense and danger. Just when you think you have it figured out you realize that you don’t. I really enjoyed ready this.
I received an ARC for an honest review from the author. It was a good read, but took a while to get into it and hard to stay with it. Love the story line, characters are well developed, but there were times I was a bit bored with it. Thanks for the opportunity to read this book.
David and Tena have fought to be able to get away from their pasts and look towards their future, but there's always something that pulls them back into the past. This is an emotional, adventurous, and trying read. There were times I was crying, times I wanted to fight, and times I wanted to tear someone's head off. These two have been through so much already and go through so much more in this story. Knowing David wants to stay away from the "family business", it isn't surprising that he eventually goes to his family for help...and I don't blame him.
**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review**
This is my first book I've read with this couple, and I have to admit I was quite glad that there didn't seem to be much missed out if you haven't read the first 2, (probably just the back history and how the couple come together).
From page one I was suckered into the story and just couldn't put it down. There were times I wanted to shake both characters and ask whey there were being so stupid and just talk it out, but I guess that just seems build up the tension between he main characters. The twist of Davie's father was one I didn't see coming either.
One thing I would have liked to see was what happened to the obsessed ex-assistant of Davie's? It doesn't seem like she would go through all the trouble she did to change her self to look like Tena and just leave when told to.
Five Fabulous Stars! David and Athena are happily engaged and things were going great or so they thought. Soon they are keeping secrets from one another because they don't want to hurt each other. The secrets start to show and David is set to protect Athenea. Will they be able to have their happily ever after? The author writes a well-written story full of emotions, romance, suspense, and danger. David and Athena have incredible chemistry. I was engaged from the first chapter and could not put the book down! I highly recommend it!
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. This book was read and reviewed by Annamaria for Alpha Book Club.
David & Tina's story finally reaches its conclusion. All the secrets keep multiplying, driving an impossible wedge between them. In their vulnerable state, several enemies from David's past, each with their own agenda of revenge, reach out to destroy what is precious to him. Emotional pain, regret, remorse, rage, helplessness all twist in the demonic darkness that threatens to kill his soul. When all hope is gone, David gets a glimpse into the eyes of the inner monster he has always feared and tried to bury. An intense mystery that keeps one on the edge, biting nails. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. Five stars.
I received a copy and voluntarily am sending in a review. This book was dark, dirty, loving, romantic, and heartbreaking! This is the first first book I have read by Lena Hart and I must say she has a dark and gritty way of pulling you into the story. David and Athena's story was sometimes hard, heartbreaking, sexy, fantastic and gut wrenching all at the same time. The complexity of the characters and storyline was just spectacular! This book is not all sunshine and roses but it felt real. Great book! Highly recommend!
The Devil's Bedpost is my first read from Lena Hart and I loved it! The character development, storyline, and plot surpassed my expectations. I also like the emotions she evokes within her readers and you can feel the love between the two main characters. I am tempted to go get Book 1 & 2 just to read about them again. Great job Lena! Signed, a new fan...
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I appreciate that the author tried to give you action and suspense, but there were quite a few storylines to try to keep up with. I struggle reading books where you want to tell both characters to grow up and use their words and just talk it out. I would have liked more story development, and less time on high school drama between the hero and heroine. Just wasn't for me.
I haven't read any of the other books in this series but I must say that this book was pretty good. I would however had like to know (in a future novella) how they felt with the pregnancy issues. And if David was truly out of the family business
I'm so glad that I found this series because I not only enjoyed it but I actually loved these stories and now I'm ready to read everything by this author yasssss!
Wow, just wow. This last book in Lena and Davie's story was absolutely amazing. My heart was thumping out of my body for almost half the book. There is nothing i can say but read this series it's brilliant.