Despite the Devil

by Shawna James

To Stephanie, Andrew Simmons seemed like the perfect man. He was smart, handsome, tall, and athletic. And best of all, he was interested in her. As their romance begins to blossom, the truth about Andrew's past comes to light. A misguided choice made many years before, hung over him. When they start a family together, Andrew tries to move on from the past and enjoy his family life, but the past still haunts him. As Andrew and Stephanie build a stable and happy home life together, they long for the day they can stop looking over their shoulders. With their resilience and perseverance, they take faith- filled steps to overcome the past.

Genres: Womens Fiction

Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2020

About the author

Shawna James is an award-winning author & writer. Her debut novel “Despite the Devil” was released in audio, paperback, and hardcover in Spring 2021 as part of her “They Loved Collection” book series. She has received 5-Star awarded book reviews, including Readers Favorite, and is a winner of the Canada Book Awards, as she quickly began gaining reader fans from around the world.

She has released book two of this collection titled “As It Should Be” in the Fall of 2021, for all her readers. Books are available on Amazon Kindle, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and many fine bookstores for all her readers to enjoy.

Shawna, a Canadian author, holds a Masters' degree in Education and works as a university instructor, fueling the bright minds of her students. When she is not writing in her favorite coffee shop or instructing, she enjoys the great outdoors and loves hiking with her puppies.

She also enjoys traveling abroad, is an avid reader, and enjoys watching her favorite football games on Sunday afternoons. She continues to reside in the Vancouver, Canada, area.

The author welcomes readers, publishers, and agents to visit her Official Author Website for all her author news, updates, new releases and is open to interviews, a guest on podcasts, and radio shows.

Reviews

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have received this book from Shut Up & Read in exchange for an honest review.

Despite the Devil was one of those books that you will never want to put down. Eventually you will though because you would have devoured it. Since it's less than 200 pages, it didn't take long for me to zoom through the book and fall in love with the characters either.

In it, you will meet Stephanie and Andrew. From the very first moment, these two had a connection that was way too cute and way too obvious. It didn't take very long for them to get pretty close to one another either. Yet, there is always that moment you are waiting for the other shoe to drop. Why? Well, it seemed like everything was too perfect.

Luckily for me, the shoe dropped and we are introduced to Andrew's ex-wife, Roberta. Now she was the obstacle for them. I was a bit worried what was going to happen to the relationship blooming between Andrew and Stephanie because of all the hoops Andrew had to jump through for Roberta. She didn't make it easy on him but he seemed to do a pretty good job balancing everything.

In the end, there's definitely some ugliness that happened and it was interesting to me. Mostly because of the custody battle. We know it happens every day and some go smooth while others don't. Coming from divorced parents, everything went pretty smoothly for us. It just hurts my heart for the kids/parents that go through the ugly ones.

[Catherine Townsend-Lyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping Romantic Drama Read Like No Other...

How can you know when two people meet, they will become soulmates?

Can a marriage be all about "Happily Ever After?"

Or can the past come back and haunt you? and can it destroy your family?

And that is just the beginning, and what you find lying within the pages of "Despite the Devil," and you need to read it to find out how it all ends. As the story opens, Stephanie meets Andrew, and a romance builds into a marriage. As they begin having a family and making a life together, something from Andrew's past is lingering.

The story then begins to unfold and intensifies from there!

No spoilers, but I can tell you Ms. Shawna James is my new favorite author after reading this intense fictional romance drama like no other. An exceptionally well-written book with twists and turns within her storyline you don't see coming. I wanted more! I hear book two of her this collection has just released, so I'm in LUCK!

The characters are well developed and vibrant. The format was perfect as the author cleverly weaves into this story many different elements and issues that real people face today and shedding light on the multicultural differences within courts/justice, family law, women, and social issues. Brilliant!

Highly recommend the book to everyone. I also enjoyed the several "Ah-Hah" moments I got!

"Lyon Literary Services & Consulting"

[Moná · Rating 5 out of 5]

Try imagining meeting the perfect man for you to uncover another woman making his life miserable. The hardest pill to swallow, leaving you discouraged to learn more about him, but he makes the move you've been hoping for and explains his situation to put your mind to ease. What are you willing to do to ensure you live happily ever after and receiving everything you deserve?

In "Despite the Devil: A Romantic Women's Fiction Novel (They Loved Collection Book 1)," author Shawna James introduces her readers to two lovely lady teachers at an elementary school, Stephanie and her best friend, Maya. Although the single life has been treating them kind, they were always optimistic about the possibilities of meeting the man of their dreams. The new physical education teacher and coach named Andrew became the topic of talk around the school. Stephanie and Andrew soon became acquainted and realized how great a bond they developed together, despite Andrew's ex-wife, Roberta, causing mayhem at every opportunity. Even while all of the constant court orders, legalities, more money demanded, etc., Andrew remained calm and gentlemanly towards Stephanie. Their relationship started rocky with Roberta as their glooming third-wheel, they continued to be positive and build their future together. Unfortunately, Kevin and Muffy suffered throughout this process, while Andrew did everything in his power to provide for Stephanie and their two girls, Chelsea and Allie. The author managed to shine light tastefully on how bitter some women are when it comes to good men, men they cannot have or no longer control. It's disturbing to read because it tugs at your heartstrings when it comes to the children, Kevin and Muffy, being the victims in this mess. Many would appreciate the author's brief insight on the imperfections of the Canadian justice system. You'll get a glimpse of an ugly custody battle involving an unfit mother and the questioning of paternity.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and have built an understanding of Andrew and Stephanie's marriage. The fact of deciding what is most important to you stands out the most in this story. Priorities were a factor in their decision making as a team, and they managed to do what was best for their family. The external factors out of their control they understood they had to let go of to experience happiness. I highly recommend this book to everyone. I'm excited and looking forward to reading the sequel.

[Sarah Nantais · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet romance and a cozy life are what many people are looking towards when they start dating. In Despite the Devil by Shawna James the romance begins early in the story. That means we get a lot more time spent with marriage, family and the complications that can come with those pieces than a traditional romance offers readers. Stephanie and Andrew are from two different worlds: two different countries. Andrew, however, has a murky past which comes to light quite early in the book. Clearly it isn’t a deal-breaker, but how will Stephanie cope with it?
The romance is sweet and warm. Even though Andrew has a past he and Stephanie communicate and support each other through it all. Andrew and Stephanie are written as very real, relatable characters. It takes skill to fabricate entire identities and allow them to be universal enough that the majority of your readers will empathize with them. James does a good job portraying her characters as human. Her villains are not completely irredeemable, and her heroes are not unreachable. This is a key piece to making the characters in the book so relevant.
If there is to be a drawback to this book, it might be some of the dialogue. While it’s not completely stiff or awkward it is a bit too perfect. Perhaps that’s what happens when you are reading a well-done book, but sometimes the things the characters say seem too syrupy or unrealistic. It’s a shame because the book itself is so identifiable you feel like you’re reading non-fiction instead of fiction. This becomes increasingly more obvious as you get closer to the end of the book and there are some child characters in the limelight. Again, this doesn’t mean that the book fails or that it isn’t worth your time. Even those who don’t like romance are sure to find refuge in these comfortable pages. It just detracts slightly from the realism.
This is not a steamy, clothes-ripping romance novel. Despite the Devil by Shawna James is a warm, comfortable love story that soothes from within. With well defined characters, respectful interactions, and honest writing you can’t help but love the tale that is spun. If you are looking for a heart-warming tale that gives you the whole relationship package, then you really must add this book to your collection. It is sure to become a refuge for tired hearts for as long as the world turns.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet romance with a realistic feel. The author brings strong characters in Stephanie and Andrew and weaves a wonderful ,heartwarming story of love overcoming all. It's well written ,moves fluidly with descriptive and detailed scenes and is a terrific read.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Sierra S]

Not your typical romance

Despite the Devil isn’t your average romance novel. With love and marriage coming early in the story, a majority of this book focuses on the after of happily ever after. With an intriguing plot and relatable characters, Despite the Devil is a great read!

[D Carrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was very good, a bit different than I expected, but in a good way. Worth the read for sure!

[Gina Stamper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author is fantastic! The way she weaves her story and characters is beyond excellent.
This is a story that hooks you and doesn’t let you go.
I want to follow theses characters for years. The story and the places are described in away that makes them feel like a character in the story.
I enjoyed the romance in the story and the obstacles. They were not always so much between the MC’s and more about the people around them.
Wonderful read!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of two people in love, who are simply trying to get through life, despite a major obstacle.

Stephanie and Andrew teach at a local college in present-day Canada. She works in the English Department. Andrew, who is blond, Norwegian and very handsome, teaches in the Athletic Department. After dating for several months, they are married. Two children soon follow, Life is good.

The obstacle comes in the form of Roberta, Andrew's ex-wife. His command of English might be less-than-fluent, because he literally did not know he was married. They are divorced, but Andrew is stuck in a very bitter custody battle over their two children, Kevin and Muffy. Roberta keeps refusing to allow a paternity test; the children may not be Andrew's. There is no joint custody arrangement. As often as is legal, Roberta is in court, demanding more and more child support from Andrew, with little evidence that the money actually gets to the children.

Andrew is forced to work longer hours to pay the legal bills and child support. Stephanie's hours at the college have been cut, so she starts an online business selling sports equipment. Something has to give between Andrew and Roberta. Does anyone "win" this emotional battle?

This is a very interesting tale of an average guy, and his loving wife, trying to do the right thing for a pair of innocent children. He is not a billionaire, or a werewolf (or a billionaire werewolf). Romance fans will enjoy it; this gets at least 4 stars.

[R.K. Emery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the book!
Ultimately it was a well-written book with a great plot.
The author really delivers us a thought-provoking read.

[Samantha Turley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was quite deep, deeper than I expected but in a great way. The author does not skirt around real life. She really gives us the good, the bad, and the ugly. The characters are going through life and it seems so real.
This book has ups and downs, just like the characters. It’s full of so much and will have you going through the emotions right along with the characters.
It really is such a great read.

[C. Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lot deeper than I was expecting. It really takes a look at the harder aspects of life and love. The author takes these on head on and really succeeds in bringing the reader along for the ride.
This is my first book by this author and I'm sure it will not be the last. It was a wonderfully written, heartwarming story.
I will definitely pick up more books in this series as they are released.

[Diane Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptionally well-written romance with drama, suspenseful intensity all romance fiction readers will enjoy. I highly recommend it.

[Lynn Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Stephanie has a strange encounter at a place you wouldn’t expect to. It gets even stranger once she starts to get to know a co-worker named Andrew. Even though this story has some weird and strange things going on, the author uses that to her advantage. She knows just the right mix when it came to creating her characters.

She has one character whom I couldn’t figure out if she were a main or secondary character even though she’s important to the plot. But I do know that she would fit perfectly on any episode of the Discovery’s crime reality shows. Then things seemed to go downhill from there. If you like dark dramas then you might enjoy it.

Understandably, there will be some gaps but there were a few times when I wished for a little more so that I didn’t have a sense that something was missing that I might need to know later on. Then in one scene, Andrew makes a remark about a couple of the secondary characters. A period of time had gone by and I became confused when indirectly their ages come into play.

Things that you would think would be occurring in the real world start to do a 180 which makes things seem like they are going on for far too long. Sad to say that it starts to do the same thing for the story in general. It made me want to jump ahead and get away from what seemed like the “same ol’ same ol’”. Then it became hard not to do an eye roll because it starts to go beyond unbelievable – and yes I do know this is a work of fiction.

It may not be as long as some books, but for me the story became long-winded. I couldn’t even get a sense as to whether the ending was happy or not. The only thing I came away with was wanting to know more about what the They Loved Collection is about.

I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Alicia Marsland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your usual romance

And that made it more intriguing. It was more like someone’s real life especially the problems with social services and courts. i’ve had problems with them myself. It’s not a 100% happy ending but you’re not going to get that if you’re dealing with social services. My husband has often said in the past we need to burn it down and start over. But we don’t mean that literally. But children are being hurt all over North America by stupid judges and foolish laws. In the book, at least one family prospers instead of being dragged down. And in real life that’s probably the best we can hope for.

[Farida Yasser · Rating 1 out of 5]

Now, i like romance and i love books, but there are stories that just aren't worth telling!
The storyline was so so bland and it didn't have any climax points or gripping aspects, it was just flat throughout.
The dialogues and interaction between the characters were truly cringe worthy, they were extremely dreamy and not logical.
I really didn't like it.
* I received an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review via netgalley and the publisher*

[Tammy King · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Great Read!

This book was so good! 😊
I liked the main character's chemistry and how they handled their problems together. I loved Stephanie's dedication to their relationship.
I found myself fascinated with Roberta (even though she wasn't the lead.)

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Andrew and Stephanie’s story. It was an entertaining, fun read. And am voluntarily leaving this review.