In the upscale suburb where Vanessa Bolton lives, she's your average suburban housewife.
She does her grocery shopping on Tuesday, Thursday mornings are reserved for Pilates, Sundays for church. At home, she's an impeccable housekeeper and a mother with a mediocre track record.
But in discreet hotel rooms throughout the city, she can be whatever you want her to be—provided you can afford the hourly fee.
In the rapidly expanding cult to which she belongs, Vanessa has been assigned the role of a "Siren"—a recruiter trained to use seduction to elicit compliance from her marks.
Vanessa's latest assignment—an unsuspecting chemist merely looking for something without strings—proves to be her toughest yet. Unwilling to neatly slide into the roles society has prescribed for them, the two collide in a sensual and savage affair that threatens not only their own lives but also those they seek to protect most.
Featuring "tantalizing suspense, pulse-pounding danger, sex, and double-dealing," Speak of the Devil is a timely and riveting psychological thriller that is impossible to put down.
Britney King lives Texas with her family, two literary dogs, one ridiculous cat, and a partridge in a pear tree.
When she’s not wrangling these characters, Britney crafts psychological, domestic, and romantic thrillers that dive deep into the complexities of human nature.
Alright, if you haven't jumped on the B-King bandwagon yet, what's holding you back?
I've been familiar with King's work for some time now; I came across her book Water Under The Bridge on Kindle Unlimited first and devoured it in record time. Once I saw she was coming out with a new series, I jumped at the chance to review it, as my curiosity is always peaked when a cult of any kind is involved. The Social Affair was a brilliant introduction to the New Hope church, a community that is social media savvy and up with the times in recruiting their members. Next, we were thrown into The Replacement Wife, which gave us a deeper understanding of the cult, their motives, and some of their dangerous practices to keep the community running smoothly and shielded from prying eyes that might harm the "good thing" they have going. This latest (and final???) entry, Speak Of The Devil, had a vastly different tone and voice than it's previous two, and I adore that Britney is still keeping us on our toes this far into the game.
As many other reviewers have stated before me, this book focuses on Vanessa, a "siren" or seductress who's job is to lure prominent new members into the fold, and Elliott, her toughest mark to date. What should be a straight forward job turns into anything but your run of the mill duping. The less you know the better, but we are taken on a tense, compulsive ride that will make you feel you can't turn the pages quickly enough. Based on the ending, this could fittingly be the conclusion to the series, or King could choose to take it further; we'll just have to wait not so patiently to find out. If you're new to the series, these are technically standalone stories, but it does feel natural to read them in their release order, as it gives a concise building up of the community, setting, and atmosphere, so I would recommend doing so if possible. Highly recommended for those who enjoy what others would refer to as "a guilty pleasure"!
Many thanks to the author for providing my review copy.
Alright folks, Britney King has done it yet again with Speak of the Devil! This is a continuation of the books involving the New Hope church and even though I didn't like it as much as the first 2, it was still a major binge read and page turner extraordinaire.
What it's about: Vanessa Bolton is a mother and wife, plus a member of the New Hope church. On the outside she appears to be a dedicated mom and wife, but that's not all she is. She is also a "Siren" for the church who basically uses her body to bring men into the church... and help them stay there. Her new target is a chemist that is dealing with his own issues, but this one may prove to be her hardest recruit mission yet.
As always, this book starts out with a gripping prologue that you come back to later in the book. You would think I would hate seeing something repeated, but it just WORKS when King does it. And I love how the beginning of this book gets you hooked so you need (that's right, NEED) to know what is going to happen next and how the scene came to be in the first place.
I think my favorite of all King's books so far is The Replacement Wife, with The Social Affair being a close second. As far as this spin-off goes, it was really good, but it felt like something was missing for me. I don't know what that thing would be, but that's the best way I can put it.
The writing was still on point for me, and I'm a huge fan of the short chapters and quick pacing.
Final Thought: If you have read The Social Affair and The Replacement Wife then you definitely need to go ahead and read this one soon. If you haven't read any of them, I highly recommend starting with The Social Affair and ending with Speak of the Devil. They can be read as standalones if necessary, but I don't recommend it. As a fan of Britney King, this book didn't disappoint me all that much. It was intense and crazy, and the church cult is as bad as ever. Definitely a must read for King fans.
Thanks so much to Britney for the advance ecopy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Always a pleasure to read your novels.
Vanessa and her husband are members of the New Hop Church , disguising itself from the religious cult it really is. Vanessa systematically cleans her house thoroughly every day ... her husband loves to watch her clean via the cameras all over his house. She only grocery shops on one certain day a week .. heaven help her if she forgets something and has to go back. If that happens, she can expect her phone to ring as soon as she walks back into her house.
And then there are other days that she spends recruiting new members of the church .. in hotel rooms all across the city, being anyone her target wants her to be. She has been assigned the role role of a "Siren"—a recruiter trained to use seduction to elicit compliance from her marks.
Her latest assignment is a man named Elliott, a man who she grows to love and respect. A sensual and savage affair ensues, threatening their lives and the lives of people close to them.
I found the inner workings of this religious cult fascinating at the green and control exerted over its members. Break a rule ... there is severe punishment. Have an affair with someone not associated with the church ... could lead to death for those involved.
The characters are credible, well-drawn, full of the issues and flaws as most people. Having not read the first books in this series, I found SPEAK OF THE DEVIL to be an excellent stand alone.
This is quite a page-turner, full of suspense, leading to worn down fingernails and bags under my eyes from reading until the early morning hours.
Many thanks to the author for the digital copy of this Psychological Thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely own.
Controlling your emotions isn’t so hard when you’ve been trained not to have any.
Speak of the Devil by Britney King
Well. So I did come to realize there was a number three in the Britney King New Hope series . And this one..what a wild ride.
So of the three..I still prefer The Social Network. It was just so compulsively readable. The Replacement Wife, not so much. I think though that had less to do with the writing and more to do with my dislike of Mel, the female lead in that one.
In part three we have Vanessa. And she is easily the most interesting of the three female leads throughout these books and she is easy to like too.
And Elliott. My feelings swung back and forth about him.
Adam is as big a jerk as ever and man, I cannot stand Mel. Is it just me?
This book was good. Very. But alas, there is a but of animal torture. You know what that means. Bren takes off a star.
So..a three it is.
I thought this was a quick and smart read and an appropriate end to such a twisted three part story. Even dug the ending which I sure did not expect and was like something out of "Same time, next year" but somehow worked. Corny? Yes. Well written? Also true.
I think I am ready for the series to end though. Three stars for this book. If you read it, start with The Social Network first.
Everyone who knows me, knows that I love everything Britney King, and everything about the New Hope series that she writes. I jumped at the chance to read her upcoming release, Speak of the Devil—continuing to follow the members of the New Hope church. A major part of religion is recruiting new members to join, but the New Hope church has an unconventional ploy to engage prospective members. Vanessa Bolton is a wife, mother, and siren for the church. Vanessa uses her sexuality, not only for prospective members, but for the gain of the church. Vanessa is a trained seductress, playing upon the emotions of people to benefit the church.
Vanessa is tasked with a new client, a chemist that goes by the name Elliot. Elliot is married, with his estranged wife and daughter out of the picture. The church sees Elliot as someone who can pivot the church to groundbreaking success, but he's been reluctant to manipulate. Once Vanessa begins her assignment, the duo's relationship becomes too much for them to handle. Vanessa is stuck between her life with her family and the church, and protecting a man who's only treated her with the respect and adoration that she deserves. The New Hope church is a formidable opponent, but are they ready to handle yet another breach in their congregation?
Speak of the Devil is vastly different than The Social Affair and The Replacement Wife, in a good way! The exploration of the characters feels unique and original—both Elliot and Vanessa are distinctively different than the previous protagonists in this series, and they are definitely more memorable. After finishing the story, these characters will definitely resonate with me for awhile. Speak of the Devil is a romantic thriller, oozing of sex and sensuality—exploring the most exhibitionist behavior, while tapping into the human mind's most primitive emotions. You'll devour the story quickly, while also noticing how this book relates to sex and interpersonal relations in a much more profound way than it's predecessors.
Without spoiling anything (trust me, I want to spill the tea, but I can't), I'm very curious to see how Britney King will continue the New Hope series,if she plans to do so, and I'm also excited to see how the direction her next story will go. Speak of the Devil is the darkest and most personal story from King yet—pushing the boundaries of what you may expect from this series.
I am seriously loving this series (although I suspect this may have been the final book??). The writing in fantastic. The plot was engaging and original (but maybe a bit all over the place at times). The characters were interesting. I maybe would have liked a bit more details about Elliot and his background in regards to his "wife." I was a bit confused (and remained confused) on that front. Overall though, It was a very enjoyable read, and I look forward to seeing what this author has up her sleeve next.
The thing about seduction is you can’t be someone’s fantasy and be real at the same time.
How long does it take for a dead body to start smelling? What’s the best way to dispose of a corpse? How deep does a grave need to be? What’s the best way to get blood stains out of cement? God, so many questions. Questions I can’t very well Google. I need answers, and somehow I don’t think Siri would be much help either. Quora, maybe? There are a lot of options. I can at least be grateful for that. I can’t imagine what they used to go through in the olden days.
My Review:
What an odious and loathsome cast of characters, there were no heroes in this story; while some were more monstrous than others they were all contemptible and doggedly manipulative. The New Hope church/cult practices were deplorable, the church leaders were unsavory and despicable, and their lifestyle and underpinnings of sex trafficking and blackmail, and the use of torture, brainwashing and drugging of their members were disturbingly abhorrent. Yet, despite all that, the remarkably talented Brittany King’s unique writing style and insightful and captivating storytelling kept me riveted to this provocative and twisted tale, and while I frequently flinched and cringed while reading, I could not put my Kindle down. I’m a bit worried what that says about me.
Release Date: October 4, 2018 Genre: Psychological Thriller Actual Rating: 5 stars
Britney King is a fairly new author to me as I have only read two of her books in the past (those include the interconnected standalones to this one; The Social Affair and The Replacement Wife). So to say that I am addicted to her work based on three books is quite amazing- normally it takes more books to officially "hook me". Speak of the Devil is a dark psychological suspense. It deals with people who are essentially a part of a cult because of a church they attend which puts men above all else and women below everything. Most of the POV's are via the women who are being domineered by these men, and let me tell you, being inside their head is intriguing. If I were to compare the women of the church to anything I would say they are as close to Stepford Wives as you can get! Britney writes it better than that though and it's almost indescribable.
Now, don't let the idea that this book (and the others) is all about religion and such because it's based around a church- it's not. This church is not one that preaches scripture. Rather, those who are a part of it are more interesting in money, power, and keeping their women young, beautiful, and submissive.
With that, this is a series that stands apart from all other psychological thrillers out there as Britney King uses unique concepts and slays character roles. If you are a fan of twisty reads and books with spectacular endings that make you gasp and cheer, then this is the book (along with the others that I will mention again) that you should be reading. I highly recommend them.
Recommended Reading Order I recommend reading these books in order of publication. The author doesn't have them grouped into a series, but they are interconnected standalones that will be better understood if you read them as follows:
1. The Social Affair (purchase on amazon: https://amzn.to/2Q8UM3i) 2. The Replacement Wife (purchase on amazon: https://amzn.to/2Oi48N7) 3. Speak of the Devil (purchase links not available yet)
Thank you so much Britney King for providing my free copy - all opinions are my own.
There is something about King’s writing that is all-consuming and delicious. You want to drop everything, settle in for the night, and read her books. I first became addicted to the New Hope series when I read THE SOCIAL AFFAIR for Black Heart Reads and then continued feeding my addiction via THE REPLACEMENT WIFE. What I love most about this series is that each book can be read as a standalone and don’t have to be read in any particular order. The common thread in this series is the New Hope Church, its members, and how it plays into their lives. Each book focuses on different members, so there is no pressure to read them all, but I highly recommend that you do. And if you want my advice, start with the first book because it’s fantastic!
This installment of the series follows Vanessa Bolton and she is not your typical New Hope wife. Vanessa is the church Siren: she recruits new members and uses her sexuality and power of seduction to allure them in. The latest recruit is Elliot, a chemist with a potential vital role in the church’s future plans. He’s married but separated from his wife and daughter, so their amorous tryst is exactly what he’s looking for. However, it's possible things go deeper than expected and this may be the most difficult recruit yet.
Elliot and Vanessa are multifaceted, three-dimensional characters layered with issues, charged with sensuality, and deep, dark emotion. This story is vastly different from the other two as it’s a fresh exploration into New Hope, and does so in such a unique and exhilarating way. I have always been fascinated by cults, especially those that use the concept of a church as a shield, and from a psychological perspective it's an interesting way to study human behavior. Under these circumstances, it is so easy to brainwash and use scare tactics to manipulate people, which makes it the perfect choice for a psychological thriller. King is always rocking it with the short addictive chapters, multiple perspectives, and her writing is vivid which completely draws you in. SPEAK OF THE DEVIL is a twisty, topsy-turvy, wild ride - you will devour this book and not even realize what time it is.
OH Vanessa and Elliot - what tangled webs you both weave. Here's the thing with this series... Britney comes out blazing with The Social Affair and you're left needing to know more about New Hope. Then BOOM, the Replacement Wife comes in and now we're getting into this cult - diggety! Now we have Speak of the Devil - where we're neck deep and probably getting rejuvenated as we read. **ahem**
Vanessa is a Siren - she is essentially a prostitute and uses her feminine wiles on both sexes to help recruit new members to New Hope. But she's not just a Siren. She's a (reluctant) wife, a mother and someone who is trying to find a way out... if she doesn't get rejuvenated to death first. Elliot is a husband who just wants his wife back, doesn't want to give in to the pressure of his business and is Vanessa's mark. They are multifaceted characters and while vastly flawed, you can't help but feel for the both of them.
What's so great about these books is that each book is a completely different story. While snug in the same concept of the cultish life and New Hope, rather than just focusing on one character throughout the series, we get a look through different sets of eyes for each story. LOVE! I will, however, recommend that you read these in order. While separate type stories, it helps to get the full background starting with book one - and they're such fast and entertaining reads, you will be glad that you did.
I'm unsure whether this is an ending to the story as the ending leaves room for more to come, but yet feels like it could be complete if it wanted to be. Personally, I'm always going to want more. (hint hint, Britney!)
I do wish I had a little more to how that ending came about - while it does get explained, I still wanted some more detail. And what happened with this and that character?! I NEED ANSWERS.. but in the best way.
Another solid thriller. I'm not sure if I could pick a favorite of the three and I don't think I have to choose so I just won't. Highly recommend.
An absolute dark and horrific ride into the depths of hell that had me gripping my kindle til my knuckles turned white...and it was AWESOME! I wanna do it again!!! I bow to you Britney King. You are a mastermind. I never read anything like this. It was a dark what I would call underworld that had me cringing and feeling dirty but I couldn’t look away. As always, superb writing that created a scene and the emotions jumped out of the pages. I loved the main character Vanessa and couldn’t wait for her to reveal her whole story. Speak of the Devil is disturbing, dark, twisted and everything a psychological thriller should be! Cheers Britney King! You did it again! I was a huge fan of the Social Affair and this went even darker!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Speak of the Devil is a twisted psychological thriller and Britney King does them so well.
Stepford Wives has nothing on Speak of the Devil.
Vanessa has a staying sober trick….gross. I’ll never share a drink with her. lol
Why Eliot? Why Vanessa?
And then they meet.
Sometimes things are so murky, I can’t see what’s really going on, but the picture is becoming clearer and I know neither the ‘church’ nor the pharmaceutical companies obey the rules.
How far will they go to get what they want? Now all is being exposed, laid bare, for me to see the ugly.
For me, it started out slow, but I think Britney was setting me up for the punchline. I am never able to anticipate all the surprises she throws into her books, and Speak of the Devil is no exception. I love her ability to keep me in suspense, not letting me know what is coming next.
All the pieces fell into place and no one walked away undamaged or unchanged and some didn’t walk away at all.
I found the review difficult to write. I felt something is missing. I didn’t feel that extreme sense of urgency I normally get from her work. That white knuckled, can’t wait to find out feeling. Did I need more details of how they were feeling while they were being tortured? Was I having an off day? I can’t pinpoint what it is, but I would still recommend reading Speak of the Devil.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Speak of the Devil by Britney King.
"The thing about crazy is that it's great until it isn't. He has no idea how far crazy can take things."
Speak of the Devil is the third book in New Hope series. These are dramatic cult stories, and I enjoyed reading them.
It was a little confusing to keep track of everyone in this book, but I eventually got it sorted. I loved having more background on New Hope that came with this book & the previous one.
I enjoyed Vanessa's chapters much more than Elliot's, which just felt like a whole bunch of mansplaining. Every time it was time for his chapters, I was ready for it to be over. I think I would have liked more focus on just Vanessa. This worked as a conclusion to the series, but it was probably my least favorite of the New Hope books.
Oh, wait.. uhhh this is awkward. That’s not what I meant.
But really, when I heard that Britney King’s books center around a church cult called “New Hope” I was intrigued to see what all the hype was about. And ladies and gents, it is so so real.
Vanessa and her husband are both well respected members of the New Hope church. Vanessa’s role is called a “siren” she recruits new members. But she doesn’t go knocking door to door asking if you have time to talk about our lord and savor, Jesus Christ. Oh no, she uses what the good lord gave her.. her body. One of Vanessa’s job responsibilities is to use her seduction to find well established men who can help further the church’s reach and impact.
Vanessa’s next victim is a chemist, named Elliot. Elliot is working on something so huge, the church wants a taste of it.
Vanessa and Elliot find their relationship runs much deeper than the church’s ensnaring roots. But having a legitimate relationship was not part of the church’s agenda. Vanessa must keep her true feelings hidden from her husband and New Hope.. because the consequences are unthinkable.
Britney King’s New Hope universe is so enthralling. It’s spine tingling to think that there can actually be “communities” like this.
“Speak of the Devil” is not your run of the mill domestic thriller.. and obviously I read ALOT of thrillers. So buckle up, because you’re not going to get sleep until you find out Vanessa’s fate with the infamous New Hope Church.
Britney King, is one of those authors who independently takes charge of her writing and advertises herself in such a prominent way that her professionalism shines through in all her works. Speak of the Devil, is my first introduction into King's writing style. I enjoyed her duo narrative between Vanessa and Elliot and the flow of the story's suspenseful undertone.
But, I regret not starting with The Social Affair and The Replacement Wife first. Don't be fooled into thinking this novel is a standalone. Because in my opinion, it's not. I was a bit confused at times, and I found myself re-reading parts to try and piece together the vague explanation of the New Hope church. This cult like organization came off as twisted and brainwashed. As usual, they hide behind religion, when in all honesty, it's a sad excuse to take advantage of people who seek a place of acceptance. It had similar vibes to the horror stories I've heard about Scientology.
All in all, Vanessa was an interesting character to unlayer, and I was pleasantly surprised at her bravery in certain aspects of the story. I just wish the delivery was stronger. Besides the confusion throughout the chapters, the ending felt a bit rushed as well. It lacked the overall climatic closure we all hope for as readers. And it didn't help that the plot felt jumbled. I plan on reading the first two books, in hope of better making sense of it all. 🌟🌟🌟
Wow is all I have to say once again! This series (all standalone, spinoffs of each other) has completely blown my mind, all in good ways. Britney weaves such tangled webs that you never know what is going to happen next. If you like page turning suspense with a twisted plot and even more twisted characters this is a must read series. This particular book is about Vanessa and Sean but you'll see plenty of characters from the previous two books as well. I think this whole series would make incredible movies as I can see them already play out in my head as I'm reading as Britney's writing is so smooth and vivid.
Vanessa is a housewife who lives under the controlling eye of her much older husband, a man who is deeply involved in a church cult. She also serves as Siren for the cult, befriending and courting men who might serve the cult's nefarious plans.
Elliot is a recently separated chemist who is lonely and looking to get his wife back whatever way possible. He develops and pioneers a new drug, one that makes people happily compliant. He's Vanessa's mark - his life will be turned upside down thanks to the cult.
If you haven't read the other two books in the series, you might struggle to pick up some of the backstory. I really enjoyed both of the other books - they kept me interested from page one. This book builds slowly, ending with a crescendo that leaves you wondering what will happen in the next installment of the series (if there will be one!).
Thank you to the author for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of this book. I love how she writes interesting, complex characters who draw you in with first-person narratives!
Wow! What an intriguing story. The author successfully kept me on the edge of my seat the entire book. Her approach to this story was refreshing and I am now a Britney King fan!!
Mmmm i didn’t like this one either to be honest. This series wasn’t what I expected. Although some of the characters from the previous books were mentioned they didn’t play major parts. So their stories pretty much ended when that book ended. The only character I liked was Elliot. There was something about his sarcasm and dry humor that roped me in. I liked the little twist at the end. I can’t say I seen that coming. Goes to show how far someone would go to protect themselves.
This is the third book in the series. It can be read as a standalone but as I love this authors stories I highly recommend you read the series in order... it’s just so good. The Replacement Wife and The Social Affair are must reads.
Vanessa is a member of the New Hop Church with her husband. She’s a siren- trained to recruit members to their church.
Elliott is her newest assignment and her toughest. She lets her feelings get involved which alters everything.
Absolutely no doubt about it I loved this story. I read it in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down, but that’s what this authors books do to me. Looking forward to reading more from this awesome author.
I received ARC from the author for honest review. Awesome Read!
I got wrapped up in this story from the very beginning, with the prologue and first chapter giving me a look at what was to come. Both filled me with dread, but also with curiosity and the need to find out what was going on and why it was happening. As I read the book, I kept telling myself “one more chapter” only to find that I had read several more and still didn’t want to stop. The story is told by two women, in alternating chapters, which built the suspense. The real-life, current issues addressed here made me think and scared me, plus there is a dose of “what if” tossed into the mix. I saw how social media can be used to present what we want the world to see, no matter how much it hides, and how it can put someone right into the midst of hidden danger. I saw how something that should be good can be twisted into justification to control and hurt others. There really is a lot going on here, making it very engrossing and interesting. Two things I’m certain of after reading this book: One is that I won’t be entering into any type of agreement any time soon! The other is that I will definitely read more of Britney King’s books! Highly recommended!
What a great thrill and suspence it was to read. What a great psychological thrill! This novel had everything in it. The thrill, the suspence, the psychological, and the twist is crazy. This novel will keep you thinking and guessing. When you think you right, well let me just say that you might be wrong. This had me all over the place. My heart beatting so fast! I couldn't believe what I was reading. If had me in shock. Every page, every chapter was a page turner. I couldn't believe my eyes what I was reading. I highly recommend everybody get this book and read it. It will surprise you in every way.
As always, Britney King brings her own brand of suspense and romance, and she certainly doesn't mind a heavy dose of mindfuckery to make things even more thrilling. Speak of the Devil, which I'm assuming is the New Hope series ender, takes readers back to the church that's more than willing to do whatever it takes to keep their members in line and to bring in the new ones they consider most sought after. I don't want to give too much away in terms of plot because when it comes to this particular genre, you live for those moments where bits and pieces are revealed and you're waiting to see if you were right or wrong or if the ending was one you never saw coming.
As much as these appear to be standalones, I'm going to recommend that you read this series in order. Starting from the beginning will allow you to have a better understanding of what New Hope--both the church and the series--is really all about. There are also recurring characters, as well as stuff from the other books that are mentioned, so in order to avoid any of those "huh?" moments, just go ahead and read the series. I promise, all three books are worthwhile reads. The author writes stories that lure in...just like the New Hope church. But don't worry, all that'll mean is you could possibly end up becoming a fan. Join the club! Speak of the Devil gets 4.5 stars. ♥
Britney King might honestly be the queen of the fast paced thriller. She is witty, sharp, and keeps her books full of intrigue.
Speak of the Devil is the third and final book in the New hope series. Although each book can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading them in order. You certainly have some spoilers ahead if you choose no to.
Vanessa Bolton is your standard upscale housewife. She takes care of her son Matthew, does her grocery shopping on Tuesdays, Thursdays she does Pilates, and Sundays are reserved for church. In the cult she belongs to, Vanessa has been named a "siren". She lures men into hotel rooms across the city and uses seduction in order to elicit compliance from men her church is interested in. She has recently been assigned a chemist, and he may be her toughest project to date.
Everything about this book was sexy and suspenseful. I honestly had no idea how it was going to go, and I absolutely could not put it down. I at no point found myself liking or relating to any of the characters, but I still needed to know them and find out what happened to them.
I really recommend this book if the content doesn't bother you. Just be prepared to drop everything you are doing!
Britney King's writing gets under my skin. Once I start reading it's like an itch I've got to scratch. This story centers around the New Hope church (read cult). The women do as the men tell them.
Vanessa Bolton is a member of New Hope. A normal housewife. But she is also a "Siren" for the church. A Siren is a recruiter. Sirens use seduction and sex to lure "marks". Marks are anyone high-profile or who have money willing to donate to or join the cult.
They are not above blackmail.
Vanessa's latest target is Elliot Parker, a unsuspecting chemist. The church wants something of his. The formula for a drug he has recently created. A pill that negates the affects of alcohol.
Vanessa may have met her match in Elliot, however.
Read on, dear reader, and find out!
This in one devilishly good psychological thriller.
Britney King is back with another book about the members of New Hope church. I read The Social Affair earlier this year and loved it! I have yet to read The Replacement Wife, but one of the best parts about these books is that you don’t need to read them in order.
If you have either of the first two books, you know that New Hope is NOT your average church. With a cult like vibe, I found myself cringing throughout the book, but I could not put it down.
Speak of the Devil centers around Vanessa, a member of New Hope church, and their designated “Siren”. On the outside, Vanessa is a suburban housewife. She gets groceries on Tuesdays, does Pilates, and goes to church on Sunday.
As a Siren for New Hope Church, Vanessa is responsible for recruiting new members. To do so, she uses her sexuality to lure the men into hotel rooms and entice them to become members. Her latest recruit, Elliot, seems to be more difficult than most.
Told in alternating perspectives between Vanessa and Elliot (which I love) we learn about Vanessa’s life as a member of New Hope Church and what what makes Elliot’s recruitment so different for Vanessa.
Another book in for the New Hope Church, well cult. This is part of a "series" but can be read as a standalone with no problems! I really enjoyed Vanessa's story, even though at times I was a tad confused. I would have enjoyed more background story on it all but I always enjoy Britney's writing and her twists that she likes to throw at us. I will continue to look forward to reading more from her!
I am so sad that I read this book without realizing it was part of a series. Knowing that, it makes sense why I was so confused throughout most of the story. I wish I knew there were two installments ahead of this one. From reading other reviews, I have learned that they give more information and history on the New Hope Church and its members. I thought the plot was super interesting, I just felt lost throughout most of it. I would like to still read the first two books! Maybe they will make things more clear for me and allow me to appreciate this story more.... I am a fan of Britney King, I love her writing style and ugh I just wish I read the other books first!!!!