Is Beautiful Devil Worth the Hype? Here’s My Take
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In Beautiful Devil, international bestselling author Rachel Leigh introduces readers to a world where sports collide with romance, rivalry, and a little bit of revenge. This new adult hockey romance follows the story of a feisty sideline cheerleader and fierce competitor, who finds herself entangled with Hayes Madden, the arrogant hockey player with a heartless reputation that’s left its mark on the entire student roster.
Rumors quickly spread as the cheerleader meets this so-called “heartless monster,” igniting a love-hate dynamic that keeps everyone guessing. As Hayes—the egotistical jock with a broken shining armor—draws her into his world, she faces a battle between love and revenge against the boy who may be more devil than savior.
Title: Beautiful Devil
Author: Rachel Leigh
Publisher: Independently Published
Genre: Romance, Sports Romance, College, Hockey, New Adult, Contemporary
Release Date: October 28, 2024
Pages: 246
Star Rating: 3 stars
Spice Rating: 2.5 chili pepper
Does This Hockey Romance by Rachel Leigh Hit the Mark?
Not every romance hits you in the feels, and Beautiful Devil by Rachel Leigh, while packed with classic tropes and a pinch of drama, ended up being just an okay read for me. With a plot centered around a feisty sideline cheerleader and an arrogant hockey player, Beautiful Devil promised all the sparks and clashes of a classic new adult enemies-to-lovers romance.
However, while Hayes Madden—a heartless monster by reputation—and the determined heroine had their moments, the story didn’t quite deliver the impact I was hoping for. Still, if you’re in the mood for a light, sports-themed romance with a dash of drama, this might just hit the spot!
This is my second Rachel Leigh book, so I am familiar with the author. You should check out my review for Forget Me Not. While I liked Forget Me Not a little more, Beautiful Devil fell flat. For most of the book, I wished Brogan would admit she’s attracted to Hayes. The whole ‘ugh, he gets on my nerves but I’m clenching my thighs because he’s so hot’ vibe got old pretty fast. While I get the tension-building approach, it sometimes dragged on longer than necessary, pulling me out of what could have been a sharper enemies-to-lovers arc.
Speaking of the enemies-to-lovers arc, I’m not convinced that Brogan and Hayes’s relationship fully counts. Now, if it were between Hayes and Kamden (who, by the way, gave me serious ick), I’d be sold! At best, the dynamic between Brogan and Hayes feels more like an ‘I dislike you, but I’m not totally sure why’ situation than genuine tension.
“She consumes me—every thought, every dream, every second of every day.”
This lack of tension didn’t help me buy into the story, and I ended up spending most of it feeling bored. Just when things seemed to be looking up, they’d fizzle out, leaving me disappointed. It’s important to note that there’s nothing overtly wrong with the story—it just left me feeling meh about the whole thing. The writing is fine, the connection between the two characters is just okay, and the plot falls flat. There’s nothing here pushing it into the ‘good’ category, but nothing to drag it into ‘bad’ territory either.
Everyone wants to know about the spice, so here’s my take: At the start of Beautiful Devil, the sex scenes feel a bit like two bumbling teenagers trying to figure things out. But as the story progresses, things definitely heat up. While there aren’t a ton of spicy scenes, the ones that do appear later feel much more cohesive (without getting too graphic).
“You’re the first, and likely the last. I’m not very good at sharing.”
In addition, there were a few things that didn’t sit right with me or really bugged me. First, I just couldn’t understand why Brogan fought so hard to work things out with Kamden, especially when she’d already admitted there wasn’t a strong connection. It felt like she was wallowing back and forth for a guy she knew she didn’t belong with. It only got worse when he acted like a child after they lost the game.
Then, when he tried to intimidate her with his dad’s influence and threatened to sue, I couldn’t help but wonder why she didn’t just say she’d get her mom, the lawyer, involved. I also find it hard to believe they fell in love in just a couple of days. The book is pretty short, and adding a few more pages to flesh out the storyline wouldn’t have hurt. In fact, I think it would’ve helped by giving the characters more depth and dialogue, so the pace wouldn’t feel so rushed. Especially at the end. Hayes spent so much time feeling anger and hatred towards his father, only to suddenly be like, ‘Welp, I was overreacting, but now everything’s perfect.’ This just wasn’t believable.
“Even if you don’t see me and I just see you, knowing you’re there makes me feel like I can conquer the world.”
While Beautiful Devil by international bestselling author Rachel Leigh has moments that show potential, it just didn’t fully deliver for me. The chemistry between Brogan and Hayes, though present, never really took off like I’d hoped for an enemies-to-lovers story. The plot had its ups and downs, and while the writing itself is fine, it didn’t elevate the characters or their connection enough to make this a standout hockey romance.
I was hoping for a bit more depth and development, especially considering the short length of the book. If you’re a fan of the egotistical jock and feisty sideline cheerleader dynamic, you might enjoy this more than I did, but for me, it left me feeling lukewarm. If you’re looking for a hockey romance that packs more punch, you may want to look elsewhere. Still, if you’re curious, it’s available on Kindle if you want to give it a try.
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