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The Devil You Know
Steed Charlton was a man possessed, and Nina was his latest possession! She owed him everything, and there was no doubt in her mind that Steed would see to it that she paid him back, measure for measure, to the ultimate degree.
- GenresContemporary Romance
188 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
94 people want to read
About the author
Helen Brooks
407 books121 followersRita Bradshaw was born on 1949 in Northampton, England, where she was educated as a good Christian. She met Clive, her husband, at the age of 16 andnow the magic is still there. They have three lovely children, Cara, Faye, and Benjamin, and have always had a menagerie of animals in the house, which at the present is confined to two endearing and very comical dogs who would make a great double act on TV! The children, friends, and pets all keep the house buzzing and the food cupboards empty but Helen wouldn't have it any other way. She still lives today in Northampton with her family. Although having enjoyed some wonderful holidays abroad she has never been tempted to live anywhere else, although she rather likes the idea of a holiday home close to the sea one day.
Being a committed Christian and fervent animal lover she finds spare time is always at a premium, but long walks in the countryside with her husband and dogs, meals out followed by the cinema or theatre, reading, swimming, and having friends over for dinner are all fitted in somehow. She also enjoys sitting in her wonderfully therapeutic, rambling old garden in the sun with a glass of red wine, (under the guise of resting while thinking of course!)
For years, she was a secretary. She began writing in 1990 as she approached that milestone of a birthday 40! She realized her two teenage ambitions (writing a novel and learning to drive) had been lost amid babies and hectic family life, so set about resurrecting them.
Her first novel was for Mills and Boon and was accepted after one rewrite in 1992 as Helen Brooks, and she passed her driving test (the former was a joy and the latter an unmitigated nightmare!) She has written 50 novels as well as several sagas as Rita Bradshaw.
Since becoming a full-time writer she has found her occupation one of pure joy and often surprised when her characters develop a mind of their own but she loves exploring what makes people tick and finds the old adage "truth is stranger than fiction" to be absolutely true. She would love to hear from any readers care of Mills & Boon.
Being a committed Christian and fervent animal lover she finds spare time is always at a premium, but long walks in the countryside with her husband and dogs, meals out followed by the cinema or theatre, reading, swimming, and having friends over for dinner are all fitted in somehow. She also enjoys sitting in her wonderfully therapeutic, rambling old garden in the sun with a glass of red wine, (under the guise of resting while thinking of course!)
For years, she was a secretary. She began writing in 1990 as she approached that milestone of a birthday 40! She realized her two teenage ambitions (writing a novel and learning to drive) had been lost amid babies and hectic family life, so set about resurrecting them.
Her first novel was for Mills and Boon and was accepted after one rewrite in 1992 as Helen Brooks, and she passed her driving test (the former was a joy and the latter an unmitigated nightmare!) She has written 50 novels as well as several sagas as Rita Bradshaw.
Since becoming a full-time writer she has found her occupation one of pure joy and often surprised when her characters develop a mind of their own but she loves exploring what makes people tick and finds the old adage "truth is stranger than fiction" to be absolutely true. She would love to hear from any readers care of Mills & Boon.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 6, 2017
More like 2.5 stars
Heroine was a bit much to take.
Heroine was a bit much to take.
May 13, 2014
I loved this book. The hero was enigmatic and adorable... and all angsty
the heroine erm I admit in the beginning was like a child way too innocent like sickly innocent... and then her character changed in an instant and I warmed to her.
I really rooted for both of them and was overjoyed in the end...
my type of story
the heroine erm I admit in the beginning was like a child way too innocent like sickly innocent... and then her character changed in an instant and I warmed to her.
I really rooted for both of them and was overjoyed in the end...
my type of story
August 31, 2022
We have another very besotted HB hero. The h ruins the story for many people because she is so innocent and unaware that it sometimes borders on stupidity. I was ok with her, even though I wanted to slap some sense into her at times. To me this had a bit of a guardian/ward feeling to it, although the H at one point asks the h if she sees him as a father figure. She emphatically tells him no, and he is relieved by that.
The hero Steed( 😂) was 30 when he met the h at her 16th birthday party. Actually, the party was more of an excuse for her evil stepmom to spend money and entertain guests. The H is a friend of the h’s father, who is an artist.
Well, Steed, became enamored with the innocent, non partying h right away. He comes on a bit too strong and gives the h her first kiss. Now, our h, Carina(Nina to her friends, of which she doesn’t seem to have any of) has lived a rather sheltered life. It sounds like she went to school and then came home to spend time with her dad or just meander around the family homestead(it is like her Tara). Her dad kept the big bad world away from her and that was to her detriment. So, when the H kisses her she isn’t sure about the feelings that overcome her(it’s called attraction) and gets angry. When he leaves, he writes her a note which she ends up tearing up and never reading. For the next five years, she avoids the H whenever he comes to visit her Dad. Before chapter 1 is done, 5 years has passed and her father has died. The H is the executor of the will. We find out that the dad has mortgaged the homestead to the hilt and has creditors. He did so to keep his wife in the lifestyle she wanted. Anyhoo, the H basically tells the stepmom to get her things and flee. Then he tells the h that he has a proposition for her. If she marries him and helps him raise his nephews that he inherited 3 years ago then he will pay off all debts and she can keep the home where they will make it the home base for the boys. And that is the set up for the story.
Nina-The girl is clueless. At first she doesn’t understand all these feelings she has. She pushes the H away again and again. She misinterprets everything the H says, and thinks he wants her as a possession. Now, we don’t see the H’s thought processes, but we don’t need to. Everything he says makes it obvious to everyone, except the h, that he is ott in love with her. Then she realizes she loves him, and doesn’t want him to know because he so obviously doesn’t love her. So she says things that make the H think that she will never fall in love with him.
Steed-Our poor hero, he has it so bad for the h. He has been carrying a torch for her since she was 16(I know, that is a little pervy, so some may not like that) This heroine has him so tied up in knots, that the man is going to have an aneurysm. I do so love an infatuated hero!
My likes or what you get/don’t get
*May/December romance
*Virgin h(not necessary)
*Passionate love scenes…to a point! I don’t think(although I may be incorrect) that HB includes sex in her stories or if she does they are fade to black…I didn’t miss it.
*Celibacy-I am 99% sure that the hero has been celibate since seeing the h five years earlier. He alludes to this a few times, however, he does state that he is experienced. I think most of that experience happened before the age 30. Of course, he still probably enjoyed the company of a woman to take to dinner or a show.
*Plot moppets-The twin boys are lovely.
*friends of the H(because the h doesn’t have anyone) His friends are not uppity, and we get more insights into the hero. Basically, he is a good guy!
*Evil character(s)-The evil stepmom is gone by the end of chapter 1. The H’s rapey cousin makes an appearance, but is dealt with quickly. The H’s secretary, probably not evil, but sounds rather bitchy.
*Angst-Yes!
*Drama-There are a few incidences that occur that ramp up the drama quotient(accidents/near death experiences)
An additional thing I liked about the story, is that the h finally decides she needs to come clear about her feelings for the H. So she calls him(he is away on business) some things get cleared up and the h now realizes the H loves her and he now realizes that the h has feelings for him as well. He tells her he will be home for dinner.
There are 20 more pages to go before we get to the actual HEA so one of those above mentioned drama things happens first.
Although this was a good enough wrap up, I always feel that HB’s endings are rather abrupt or it may be I just want a little more…..
I ended up finding this story in open library, but it wasn’t easy to locate. I found it as a document that didn’t need to be checked out. It was also part of this 2 story book The Parent Trap
The hero Steed( 😂) was 30 when he met the h at her 16th birthday party. Actually, the party was more of an excuse for her evil stepmom to spend money and entertain guests. The H is a friend of the h’s father, who is an artist.
Well, Steed, became enamored with the innocent, non partying h right away. He comes on a bit too strong and gives the h her first kiss. Now, our h, Carina(Nina to her friends, of which she doesn’t seem to have any of) has lived a rather sheltered life. It sounds like she went to school and then came home to spend time with her dad or just meander around the family homestead(it is like her Tara). Her dad kept the big bad world away from her and that was to her detriment. So, when the H kisses her she isn’t sure about the feelings that overcome her(it’s called attraction) and gets angry. When he leaves, he writes her a note which she ends up tearing up and never reading. For the next five years, she avoids the H whenever he comes to visit her Dad. Before chapter 1 is done, 5 years has passed and her father has died. The H is the executor of the will. We find out that the dad has mortgaged the homestead to the hilt and has creditors. He did so to keep his wife in the lifestyle she wanted. Anyhoo, the H basically tells the stepmom to get her things and flee. Then he tells the h that he has a proposition for her. If she marries him and helps him raise his nephews that he inherited 3 years ago then he will pay off all debts and she can keep the home where they will make it the home base for the boys. And that is the set up for the story.
Nina-The girl is clueless. At first she doesn’t understand all these feelings she has. She pushes the H away again and again. She misinterprets everything the H says, and thinks he wants her as a possession. Now, we don’t see the H’s thought processes, but we don’t need to. Everything he says makes it obvious to everyone, except the h, that he is ott in love with her. Then she realizes she loves him, and doesn’t want him to know because he so obviously doesn’t love her. So she says things that make the H think that she will never fall in love with him.
Steed-Our poor hero, he has it so bad for the h. He has been carrying a torch for her since she was 16(I know, that is a little pervy, so some may not like that) This heroine has him so tied up in knots, that the man is going to have an aneurysm. I do so love an infatuated hero!
My likes or what you get/don’t get
*May/December romance
*Virgin h(not necessary)
*Passionate love scenes…to a point! I don’t think(although I may be incorrect) that HB includes sex in her stories or if she does they are fade to black…I didn’t miss it.
*Celibacy-I am 99% sure that the hero has been celibate since seeing the h five years earlier. He alludes to this a few times, however, he does state that he is experienced. I think most of that experience happened before the age 30. Of course, he still probably enjoyed the company of a woman to take to dinner or a show.
*Plot moppets-The twin boys are lovely.
*friends of the H(because the h doesn’t have anyone) His friends are not uppity, and we get more insights into the hero. Basically, he is a good guy!
*Evil character(s)-The evil stepmom is gone by the end of chapter 1. The H’s rapey cousin makes an appearance, but is dealt with quickly. The H’s secretary, probably not evil, but sounds rather bitchy.
*Angst-Yes!
*Drama-There are a few incidences that occur that ramp up the drama quotient(accidents/near death experiences)
An additional thing I liked about the story, is that the h finally decides she needs to come clear about her feelings for the H. So she calls him(he is away on business) some things get cleared up and the h now realizes the H loves her and he now realizes that the h has feelings for him as well. He tells her he will be home for dinner.
There are 20 more pages to go before we get to the actual HEA so one of those above mentioned drama things happens first.
Although this was a good enough wrap up, I always feel that HB’s endings are rather abrupt or it may be I just want a little more…..
I ended up finding this story in open library, but it wasn’t easy to locate. I found it as a document that didn’t need to be checked out. It was also part of this 2 story book The Parent Trap
August 3, 2019
A man in love with a woman at the age of 16 and passionately so. Give years later He went as far as to negotiate his orphan twin nephews in exchange for marriage so he can be with her. So much passion and almost consummate their love but they both held back. The h was speedily naive and beautiful., A painter by talent but clueless of the bad world she lives in. With so much miscommunication and misunderstanding they were fighting for what they had all along. Love indeed blinds a person when do preoccupied with his/ her personal turmoil. After a few accidents and a near death experience they declared their love for each other. I wished there was an epilogue, it would have made the book ending better.
March 14, 2022
I almost bought this book; but thank goodness I was able to find it on the web after years of searching for it. It has one of my favorite trope (unrequited love from hero’s POV) but what a failed! It was so draggy, redundant to the point of nothing ever happens. There’s absolutely nothing worth mentionable about this book at all as it wasn’t very memorable. A very poor executed plot where the hero made appearances here & there meanwhile the heroine was just taking day by day & simply practicing breathing at its finest! Yikes!
August 6, 2025
Trigger warning: attempted rape of the heroine by the hero's cousin. Hero meets, kisses and traumatizes heroine on her 16th birthday
Helen Brooks's heroines are always annoying and this story is no exception.
Unfortunately, the hero wasn't enough to make up for the criminal obliviousness of the heroine since he displayed one unregulated emotion after another. Heroine was afraid of him - granted, she was afraid of everything - but he really threw one too many tantrums for me to feel sorry for his unrequited longing.
Since the orphaned twins displayed the most maturity of any of the characters, both the H/h were shown in a bad light.
What also didn't work in this story - the abrupt changes of scene - the H/h go from Cornwall to London to Spain and then back to London and ending in Cornwall. None of the location changes were integral to the plot, it felt like the author needed to expand the page count by describing new places.
Bottom line: there was no conflict. Hero was besotted. Heroine in love and curious. One conversation (on the phone no less) solved it. But the heroine had to risk her life to save a young girl from the incoming tide before the HEA. (What?)
Just a mess of a book.
Helen Brooks's heroines are always annoying and this story is no exception.
Unfortunately, the hero wasn't enough to make up for the criminal obliviousness of the heroine since he displayed one unregulated emotion after another. Heroine was afraid of him - granted, she was afraid of everything - but he really threw one too many tantrums for me to feel sorry for his unrequited longing.
Since the orphaned twins displayed the most maturity of any of the characters, both the H/h were shown in a bad light.
What also didn't work in this story - the abrupt changes of scene - the H/h go from Cornwall to London to Spain and then back to London and ending in Cornwall. None of the location changes were integral to the plot, it felt like the author needed to expand the page count by describing new places.
Bottom line: there was no conflict. Hero was besotted. Heroine in love and curious. One conversation (on the phone no less) solved it. But the heroine had to risk her life to save a young girl from the incoming tide before the HEA. (What?)
Just a mess of a book.
April 11, 2013
Bit of a strange start with her so young and him just described as a friend of her father (with no reference for age), but overall a good vintage tumultuous story with a charismatic hero and a likeable heroine.
priority
August 11, 2021Steed Charlton was a man possessed, and Nina was his latest possession! She owed him everything, and there was no doubt in her mind that Steed would see to it that she paid him back, measure for measure, to the ultimate degree.
May 27, 2013
loved it.read it maybe 30 times over 10 years
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews