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Illicit Library Collection #2
The Devil's Table
Mason I watched the love of my life die in front of my eyes, and in that unparalleled moment of pain and rage, I made a terrible mistake. But I was wrong . She wasn’t dead, and the consequences of those actions did not disappear. The man I owed my debt to, my own father, didn’t care that he cleaned up my mess. He didn’t even want recompense for me abandoning the empire he built and intended to hand to me. He wanted a war. There was more at play than an old vendetta and new wounds. Our city was built on a foundation of lies and pain, and I needed to stop it. I needed to protect the woman I loved, but what would those efforts cost me? Claire The man I loved grew darker by the day. Each night he didn't come home to me, he sank deeper into his old world. The lies easily flowed from those dimly lit and bloodsoaked places. Why didn’t he trust me to bear his burdens alongside him? Hadn't I proved I loved him despite the secrets and half truths. His fear, and his need to protect me made sense. He almost lost me in the shooting, but I lost myself. The guilt, pain, and fear, all drove me to decisions I would come to regret. Would my quest for justice bring me the peace I so desperately craved? Despite how complicated our lives became, I would never regret choosing Mason.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 15, 2022
109 people are currently reading
569 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
July 11, 2022
ARC REVIEW! SPOILERS!!
Oh My Gosh! Oh that cliffhanger has me devastated that I have to wait until December to know what happens with Mason and Claire.
The Devils Table is a continuation of Maybe Hiring. I LOVED the first book so much. This second book…..definitely darker and more heartache.
Seeing Claire try to handle her PTSD, deal with her survivors guilt, and the internal turmoil of the possibility of ending her relationship with Mason because of the lies, just made my heart bleed for her. I was 100% expecting her to leave Mason and then him have to do some major graveling to get her back. Claire did want to leave. But Mason wasn’t going to accept that!
I started disliking Mason for keeping so many secrets from her. Claire deserved to know every thing that was going on. But of course, Aurelia makes sure Mason is redeemed. Although Claire doesn’t fully trust Mason as of yet.
I was expecting David to kill and was utterly shocked to find out that Daniel got the jump on David????? I had to keep rereading to make sure I was reading that right! I absolutely cannot wait for the third book to come out! I am honored to be an ARC reader for this series. It is amazing!
Oh My Gosh! Oh that cliffhanger has me devastated that I have to wait until December to know what happens with Mason and Claire.
The Devils Table is a continuation of Maybe Hiring. I LOVED the first book so much. This second book…..definitely darker and more heartache.
Seeing Claire try to handle her PTSD, deal with her survivors guilt, and the internal turmoil of the possibility of ending her relationship with Mason because of the lies, just made my heart bleed for her. I was 100% expecting her to leave Mason and then him have to do some major graveling to get her back. Claire did want to leave. But Mason wasn’t going to accept that!
I started disliking Mason for keeping so many secrets from her. Claire deserved to know every thing that was going on. But of course, Aurelia makes sure Mason is redeemed. Although Claire doesn’t fully trust Mason as of yet.
I was expecting David to kill and was utterly shocked to find out that Daniel got the jump on David????? I had to keep rereading to make sure I was reading that right! I absolutely cannot wait for the third book to come out! I am honored to be an ARC reader for this series. It is amazing!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2023
Wow!
What a development in this saga! Claire's struggles with survivor guilt and PTSD, Mason's background, internal struggles with himself, his daily duplicity, and battle for control, and their relationship development together is captivating. I started this series with low expectations and have been surprised by how great it actually is!
What a development in this saga! Claire's struggles with survivor guilt and PTSD, Mason's background, internal struggles with himself, his daily duplicity, and battle for control, and their relationship development together is captivating. I started this series with low expectations and have been surprised by how great it actually is!
July 9, 2022
This book has had me on the edge of my seat as I waited for it to come out after the ending of Maybe Hiring!
It's a little bit darker than the first book but omg is it amazing!! I loved getting to know Mason's thought along with our spunky relatable Claire! Where she is recovering after what Charles aka Tyler did to her in the first book.
And let not forget about the bedroom scenes! 🥵
The ending was something is didn't see coming and it blew my mind!! 🤯
If you haven't read either book you must! They are incredible! And I'm now waiting on the 3rd installment of the series of Claire and Mason!
Great job Aurelia Knight!! You have kept me on my toes and I'm excitedly waiting for you next works!!!
It's a little bit darker than the first book but omg is it amazing!! I loved getting to know Mason's thought along with our spunky relatable Claire! Where she is recovering after what Charles aka Tyler did to her in the first book.
And let not forget about the bedroom scenes! 🥵
The ending was something is didn't see coming and it blew my mind!! 🤯
If you haven't read either book you must! They are incredible! And I'm now waiting on the 3rd installment of the series of Claire and Mason!
Great job Aurelia Knight!! You have kept me on my toes and I'm excitedly waiting for you next works!!!
July 18, 2022
I loved this book more than I did #1! And I bloody LOVED the first book!! I think it's because it a bit darker than the first one.
Mason and Claire are back and we get a duel point of view with this book. This gives us an insight to Mason's darkness and what is going on with him when he isn't with Claire. Beautifully written, so so steamy 🥵🔥 and really could not put it down! If you haven't read the first book yet - go do it now so that you can read The Devil's Table.
We do leave Mason and Claire on a cliffhanger, so be prepared for a bit of frustration (because the next book isn't out yet) and 😲 due to the twist at the end. However, the introduction of awesome new characters to love, the humor and of course, the delicious sexy smexy - absolutely makes it 100% worth it.
Mason and Claire are back and we get a duel point of view with this book. This gives us an insight to Mason's darkness and what is going on with him when he isn't with Claire. Beautifully written, so so steamy 🥵🔥 and really could not put it down! If you haven't read the first book yet - go do it now so that you can read The Devil's Table.
We do leave Mason and Claire on a cliffhanger, so be prepared for a bit of frustration (because the next book isn't out yet) and 😲 due to the twist at the end. However, the introduction of awesome new characters to love, the humor and of course, the delicious sexy smexy - absolutely makes it 100% worth it.
July 25, 2022
The Devil's Table is book 2 in the Illicit Library Collection.
So you will need to read book 1 in order to understand this story.
This book also ends on a cliffhanger so be prepared.
Now the fun stuff:
We see a lot more of Mason in this book. He was such a mystery.
As in book 1 the book is written in dual point (Between Claire and Mason).
This gives us the evolution of Mason and why he is the way he is.
I loved reading his feelings towards Claire.
We see Claire coping with being shot, the memories but also the trauma. Will she be able to get past it?
I need it to be December for the ending.
So you will need to read book 1 in order to understand this story.
This book also ends on a cliffhanger so be prepared.
Now the fun stuff:
We see a lot more of Mason in this book. He was such a mystery.
As in book 1 the book is written in dual point (Between Claire and Mason).
This gives us the evolution of Mason and why he is the way he is.
I loved reading his feelings towards Claire.
We see Claire coping with being shot, the memories but also the trauma. Will she be able to get past it?
I need it to be December for the ending.
December 10, 2022
This book had a slightly different vibe than the first but that was due to getting the story from Mason's POV as well. I loved getting his POV and seeing the different side of him that he was forced to kind of go back to after what happened at the end of the last book.
I absolutely fell in love with Mason. There were things he did that absolutely annoyed me but at the same time, I also understand why that was the direction he went. It made sense for the character and I appreciated seeing those flaws in him.
This book was definitely more on the darker side than the first one but it worked for me. I liked the contrast between the two of them. The more I read the more intrigued I get about the other side characters and the entire plot of this whole series.
The twist at the end shocked me and made me super excited for the next book.
I absolutely fell in love with Mason. There were things he did that absolutely annoyed me but at the same time, I also understand why that was the direction he went. It made sense for the character and I appreciated seeing those flaws in him.
This book was definitely more on the darker side than the first one but it worked for me. I liked the contrast between the two of them. The more I read the more intrigued I get about the other side characters and the entire plot of this whole series.
The twist at the end shocked me and made me super excited for the next book.
November 7, 2022
Honestly, I was so disappointed in this. I adored the first book, immediately started this one, and now I'm not sure I'll ever read the third that releases next month. A lot of this book was flashbacks to various encounters with other characters, which, while somewhat necessary to the story, was really off-putting to me. I had a hard time keeping track of timelines with the frequent jumps, and honestly I almost gave up on this book. Around 80%, this book started to feel like the first one that I loved so much, but I had almost given up by that point I really didn't care anymore.
February 5, 2023
I loved the first book in the series. This one had a very different feel to it. But was absolutely necessary for the growth of the characters. But I will say. This one is definitely just as hot! But those moments are harder earned. Mason and Claire have a very hard time in this book. But if you read the end of book one you would expect that after everything they’ve been thorough. I’m writing this review after finishing reading the series so things do turn around and there is a happy ending for them.
July 16, 2022
Diving back into Mason and Claire’s lives just a few days after the events of ‘Maybe Hiring’ and boy is there a lot to unpack. We had barely scratched the surface of Mason’s history before and now we have a better glimpse of why he is the man he is now. There’s still a mystery to unfold and Claire is still recovering. Both have a lot to learn, in life and about each other. What about James and Emma? An excellent second instalment in this story I can’t wait to dive into part 3 later this year.
July 31, 2022
Another Amazing Book by Aurelia Knight. I love the Illicit Library Collection. In this book we learn about the dynamic of the relationship between Mason and Claire. Even though Tyler aka Charles is dead now there are still so many things that Mason must protect Claire from. Although they have such a steamy relationship will that be enough with all the secrets untold? I cannot wait for the next book in December!
October 16, 2022
I really did enjoy this book and the mafia affiliated theme. I really was able to get a feel for Mason in this book and he’s amazing🤩 . But I must say that I am absolutely devastated that Casey died and Mia is left all alone. Im hoping that somehow he’s not dead because I loved their side little romance😭😭. Also I wonder who Victor will end up being with 🤔. Again an awesome book and I can’t wait for December!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2023
Chaotic
Second installment of this series. I'm going to finish it because of wanting to know what happens. Mason is definitely alpha asshole and dominant. Clair is sometimes all over the place. The communication between both of them is non existing until the very end. It skips months and weeks. The sexual relationship is amazing when its there. Not as much as I like in my stories. Hoping the third installment is better.
Honestly it's not awful. I do enjoy it.
Second installment of this series. I'm going to finish it because of wanting to know what happens. Mason is definitely alpha asshole and dominant. Clair is sometimes all over the place. The communication between both of them is non existing until the very end. It skips months and weeks. The sexual relationship is amazing when its there. Not as much as I like in my stories. Hoping the third installment is better.
Honestly it's not awful. I do enjoy it.
July 1, 2023
A much much darker sequel, Claire is suffering from PTSD from the events of the first book. This, and Mason being secretive is impacting their relationship heavily.
I didn’t enjoy this as much as I did the first, however this may have just been because I wasn’t keen on how Mason and Claire were handling it. Hopefully now, moving forward (especially after that ending!) things come together and they work it out
I didn’t enjoy this as much as I did the first, however this may have just been because I wasn’t keen on how Mason and Claire were handling it. Hopefully now, moving forward (especially after that ending!) things come together and they work it out
January 7, 2024
Despite hating the first one, I decided I wanted to learn more about Mason and continued the trilogy.
I liked this one a lot! It was much better than the first one, and Mason is way hotter in this one. I'm definitely going to read the last one, especially with that ending, omg!
This one was a little less smut heavy (still a lot) and more powered through plot, which is just the way I like my romance lol.
I liked this one a lot! It was much better than the first one, and Mason is way hotter in this one. I'm definitely going to read the last one, especially with that ending, omg!
This one was a little less smut heavy (still a lot) and more powered through plot, which is just the way I like my romance lol.
July 15, 2022
I really enjoyed this second installment of the series! Multiple POVs really kept things interesting - if the story would have only been through Claire's narration we would have missed out on so many details. It was also nice to get some flashbacks about our leading man : ) The last chapter was definitely unexpected - can't wait for the last installment to see how everything turns out!
December 30, 2022
I loved getting to see things from Masons POV. Dual POV books are my fave. But good god Claire annoys the mess outta me. She’s like a toddler who can’t get her way. I get she went thru a lot but she’s being ridiculous. I ended up annoyed anytime her POV came my way. I’ll read the 3rd book just cos I can’t not finish a series but I won’t lie. I kinda hope Claire dies and Mason moves on.
January 23, 2023
I need a Mason!
Mason is the ultimate protective man! From book one to book 2 Mason shows his dedication and affection for Claire. I absolutely adore how well their story has been written this far.
I will say there is more humourous moments in book 1, where book 2 is more serious.
As Claire and Mason have experienced it's not all sunshine and rainbows folks.
Mason is the ultimate protective man! From book one to book 2 Mason shows his dedication and affection for Claire. I absolutely adore how well their story has been written this far.
I will say there is more humourous moments in book 1, where book 2 is more serious.
As Claire and Mason have experienced it's not all sunshine and rainbows folks.
August 7, 2025
The first book was one of my few 5-star reads. I'll be honest, I was worried this one wouldn't (couldn't!) live up to how much I loved the first.
And it totally did.
I love getting to experience their relationship, getting more insight into events in the first book, and of course the spiiiiiiice
And it totally did.
I love getting to experience their relationship, getting more insight into events in the first book, and of course the spiiiiiiice
July 16, 2022
"The Devil's Table" picks right up where we left Mason and Claire in "Maybe Hiring".
This story has even more steamy romance, suspense,and moments of levity,and I really enjoyed every moment of it.
I came to love our faithful side characters,James, Emma and Vick even more! Can't wait to have more!
This story has even more steamy romance, suspense,and moments of levity,and I really enjoyed every moment of it.
I came to love our faithful side characters,James, Emma and Vick even more! Can't wait to have more!
September 8, 2022
I'm going to start with saying the first book in this series was one of my fave reads ever. This one was darker and I was here for it!!
We got a deep dive into the characters past and so much more action, and the spice. Oh my. Loved it!! Highly recommend.
We got a deep dive into the characters past and so much more action, and the spice. Oh my. Loved it!! Highly recommend.
February 27, 2023
Absolutely breathtaking!
The suspense at the end is going to take me out!! Everyone needs a Mason as their SO, and Claire is evolving into such a stronger woman than she thought capable!
The suspense at the end is going to take me out!! Everyone needs a Mason as their SO, and Claire is evolving into such a stronger woman than she thought capable!
April 6, 2023
I am having a hard time believing the person who wrote the first book wrote this one, not gonna lie. the tone, the writing style was so different I felt like I had to power through this book whereas the first book I couldn't put it down.
Mason was weird this book- last book he was fun, yet still alpha. This book he is truly taking on the mafia ( if that's what we are calling it) role and it just seemed like such a drastic shift like he's not nearly as conflicted as I thought someone would be who changed his name distanced himself etc.
Claire- I get she goes through the ringer but this book makes her seem weaker then most. Last book I loved the depression element cause we all go through it but when she has true trauma she just becomes this shell of a person- just letting Mason do everything take control being sassy but not really doing anything it was weird.
I started book 3 cause the ending they seemed back to the characters I fell in love with but its for sure a weird jump from book 1 to book 2.
Mason was weird this book- last book he was fun, yet still alpha. This book he is truly taking on the mafia ( if that's what we are calling it) role and it just seemed like such a drastic shift like he's not nearly as conflicted as I thought someone would be who changed his name distanced himself etc.
Claire- I get she goes through the ringer but this book makes her seem weaker then most. Last book I loved the depression element cause we all go through it but when she has true trauma she just becomes this shell of a person- just letting Mason do everything take control being sassy but not really doing anything it was weird.
I started book 3 cause the ending they seemed back to the characters I fell in love with but its for sure a weird jump from book 1 to book 2.
July 18, 2022
This book was so GOOD! I thought book 1 (Maybe Hiring) was fun and exciting but man this one ramps it up. I'll definitely be reading this book again.
August 13, 2022
An absolutely brilliant sequel, unravelling more of Mason's story, adding layers to Claire and delivering twists and blows they leave you with whiplash!
October 17, 2022
slow go
I feel like this book was like any other mafia story. The first book is still my favorite. I am looking to see what the last book brings us.
I feel like this book was like any other mafia story. The first book is still my favorite. I am looking to see what the last book brings us.
Read
January 30, 2023DNF @56%, couldn’t get into it
February 5, 2023
KSSK
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2023
Book 2 has me in a chokehold!
We only had an inkling of this turn to the story in book 1 - it is much grittier than promised! Enthusiastically seeking out and downloading book 3!!
We only had an inkling of this turn to the story in book 1 - it is much grittier than promised! Enthusiastically seeking out and downloading book 3!!
April 10, 2023
Wow! Darker and angstier than the first but so good!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews