Alexandria Bellefleur’s latest offering, The Devil She Knows, ventures boldly into paranormal territory, crafting a devilishly clever romance that questions everything we think we know about love, ambition, and self-worth. After establishing herself as a powerhouse in contemporary queer romance with her Written in the Stars series and other beloved titles, Bellefleur takes readers on an unexpected journey where demons, wishes, and heartbreak collide in the most spectacular fashion.
The premise practically crackles with potential: Samantha Cooper, a pastry chef nursing a freshly broken heart after a disastrous public proposal, encounters Daphne in a malfunctioning elevator. Daphne happens to be a demon who offers Sam six wishes in exchange for her soul. What follows is part romantic comedy, part existential crisis, and entirely unputdownable.
The Architecture of Heartbreak and Healing
Bellefleur demonstrates remarkable skill in constructing a narrative that operates on multiple levels simultaneously. On the surface, “The Devil She Knows” reads as a deliciously witty romantic comedy with supernatural elements. Dig deeper, though, and you’ll find a penetrating examination of toxic relationships, self-worth, and the ways we compromise ourselves for love that doesn’t truly see us.
Sam’s journey begins in the wreckage of her relationship with Hannah, an influencer whose ambition has eclipsed any genuine affection she might have once held. The author doesn’t shy away from depicting how Hannah’s criticisms have eroded Sam’s confidence over their two-and-a-half-year relationship. Rather than working to support Sam’s dreams of owning a small bakery, Hannah pushed her toward conventional success—longer hours, more prestigious positions, everything except what would actually make Sam happy.
This foundational relationship dysfunction becomes the engine driving Sam’s increasingly desperate wishes. Each attempt to win Hannah back through Daphne’s magical intervention reveals another layer of incompatibility, another way Hannah’s vision of success clashes with Sam’s authentic desires. The genius lies in how Bellefleur uses these wish-fulfillment scenarios to demonstrate that getting what you think you want isn’t the same as understanding what you need.
Daphne: Pink-Wearing Demon with Emotional Depth
The true revelation of “The Devil She Knows” is Daphne herself. Bellefleur has created a demon who defies every expectation—she’s sharp-tongued, fashion-forward, vulnerable, and carrying the weight of two thousand years spent collecting souls. The juxtaposition of her ancient origins with her thoroughly modern sensibilities creates fascinating tension throughout the narrative.
What makes Daphne extraordinary is her emotional complexity. She’s bound by cosmic contract to collect one thousand souls to earn her freedom, and Sam represents number one thousand. Yet as she grants Sam’s wishes—each one corrupted in classically demonic fashion—Daphne finds herself genuinely caring about the outcome. Her sarcastic exterior masks profound loneliness and a weariness born from millennia of witnessing human folly.
The dynamic between Sam and Daphne evolves with remarkable nuance. Their banter sparkles with genuine wit rather than forced cleverness, and their growing connection feels earned rather than convenient. Bellefleur excels at writing chemistry that simmers beneath surface-level antagonism, allowing readers to see the possibility of genuine partnership long before the characters acknowledge it themselves.
The Mechanics of Wishes and Consequences
Bellefleur’s worldbuilding in “The Devil She Knows” deserves particular recognition. The wish-granting mechanism operates with delicious irony—Sam receives exactly what she asks for, just not in the way she expects. When she wishes for wealth and success, she becomes a crime lord heading the “Manger Mafia,” stealing expensive culinary goods. When she wishes to go back in time to fix her relationship, she finds herself in a reality where she’s achieved conventional success but lost herself in the process.
These twisted fulfillments serve multiple narrative purposes:
- They provide genuinely entertaining set pieces and scenarios
- They force Sam to confront what she’s actually asking for versus what she truly needs
- They demonstrate the danger of pursuing external validation over internal satisfaction
- They showcase Daphne’s nature while also revealing her growing reluctance to genuinely harm Sam
The contract itself, with its pages of legal terminology and surprising loopholes, adds authenticity to the supernatural elements. The hold harmless clause—stating that benevolent wishes release the damned from liability—becomes crucial to the resolution, rewarding attentive readers while emphasizing that genuine selflessness has real power even in Hell’s bureaucracy.
Narrative Structure and Pacing Considerations
The structure of “The Devil She Knows” presents both its greatest strengths and occasional weaknesses. Bellefleur opts for a reality-hopping approach where each wish creates an alternate scenario for Sam to navigate. This provides tremendous variety and prevents monotony, but it can occasionally create disorientation as readers adjust to each new reality’s parameters.
Some transitions between wish fulfillments feel slightly rushed, particularly in the middle section where Sam burns through wishes two through four. The cooking competition sequence, while entertaining, doesn’t achieve the same emotional resonance as Sam’s experiences as an accidental crime boss or her visit to meet Daphne’s past. These sections still serve important purposes—revealing more about both characters and their developing feelings—but the pacing wavers slightly compared to the sharply focused opening and closing acts.
The Louisiana interlude, where Sam takes Daphne home to meet her parents, stands as one of the novel’s most tender sequences. Here, Bellefleur’s prose softens, allowing genuine warmth and vulnerability to emerge. Sam’s father’s observation that Sam seems more herself with Daphne in one day than she ever did discussing Hannah carries particular weight, serving as both character revelation and turning point.
Thematic Resonance: Worth, Ambition, and Authentic Love
Beyond the supernatural trappings and romantic comedy elements, “The Devil She Knows” grapples with substantial themes that elevate it above standard genre fare. The exploration of self-worth runs throughout, examining how external pressures and toxic relationships can erode our sense of self until we no longer recognize our own desires.
Sam’s arc involves learning to distinguish between the person Hannah wanted her to be and who she actually is. Her dream of owning a cozy neighborhood bakery isn’t less valuable than running a high-profile pastry program at an exclusive restaurant—it’s simply different, and it’s authentically hers. The novel celebrates quiet ambitions and sustainable happiness over exhausting pursuits of conventional success.
The treatment of immortality and its implications provides unexpected depth. Daphne’s concerns about the relationship’s future—that Sam will age while Daphne remains unchanged, that Sam deserves experiences Daphne cannot provide—feel genuinely poignant rather than melodramatic. The novel acknowledges these challenges without pretending they don’t matter, ultimately arguing that authentic connection transcends such practical concerns without dismissing them entirely.
Dialogue and Voice: Where Bellefleur Truly Shines
The author’s greatest strength remains her ability to craft distinctive, engaging dialogue that reveals character while propelling the narrative forward. Daphne’s verbal sparring with Sam crackles with energy, full of sharp observations and unexpected vulnerability masquerading as sarcasm. When Daphne tells Sam she’s been using humor as a shield, it’s a moment of self-aware honesty that deepens both characters simultaneously.
Sam’s voice evolves throughout “The Devil She Knows” in ways that feel organic rather than forced. Early on, she’s apologetic, second-guessing herself, desperate to please. As she confronts the reality of her relationship with Hannah and begins recognizing her own worth, her voice strengthens. By the climactic confrontation with Lucifer himself, Sam speaks with confidence born from genuine self-knowledge rather than false bravado.
The supporting cast, though limited by the novel’s structure, still manages to make impressions. Sam’s parents radiate warmth without being cloying, and their acceptance of both Sam’s sexuality and her unusual girlfriend provides a refreshing counterpoint to the judgment Sam has internalized from other sources. Even Lucifer, appearing primarily in the final act, distinguishes himself as menacing yet oddly principled.
Technical Elements and Minor Quibbles
While “The Devil She Knows” succeeds tremendously on most fronts, certain elements could have been refined. The Louisiana dialect occasionally feels slightly performative rather than authentic, though this improves as the section progresses. Some readers might find the rapid-fire wish sequences in the middle third slightly disorienting, though others will appreciate the variety this structure provides.
The resolution, while emotionally satisfying and thematically appropriate, arrives somewhat abruptly. The clever use of the benevolent wish loophole works perfectly within the established rules, but the speed with which conflicts resolve might leave readers wanting slightly more denouement. The epilogue provides essential closure and demonstrates the relationship’s long-term viability, yet a slightly more expanded final section could have enhanced the overall impact.
Additionally, while Hannah functions effectively as the catalyst for Sam’s journey, her characterization remains somewhat surface-level. We understand why Sam loved her and why that love was misplaced, but Hannah herself never quite achieves three-dimensionality. This proves more noticeable in contrast to Daphne’s rich characterization and serves as one of the novel’s few missed opportunities.
Heat Level and Romance Execution
For readers seeking romantic and physical tension, Bellefleur delivers admirably. The attraction between Sam and Daphne builds gradually, complicated by their contractual relationship and Sam’s lingering feelings for Hannah. When they finally acknowledge their connection, the emotional payoff feels earned.
The intimate scenes balance heat with genuine tenderness, focusing on emotional connection as much as physical attraction. Bellefleur writes chemistry that extends beyond the bedroom, ensuring that readers invest in the relationship holistically. The contrast between Sam’s relationship with Hannah—which we see primarily through her desperate attempts to recapture something that never truly existed—and her developing connection with Daphne effectively demonstrates the difference between infatuation and genuine partnership.
Comparative Context Within Queer Romance
Within the broader landscape of queer romance, particularly sapphic fiction, “The Devil She Knows” occupies an interesting position. It shares thematic DNA with other paranormal romances exploring power dynamics and transformative love, yet Bellefleur’s voice remains distinctively her own. The integration of humor, genuine character development, and thoughtful examination of relationship dynamics sets this apart from more formulaic entries in the genre.
Readers who enjoyed Bellefleur’s contemporary romances will recognize her trademark warmth and wit while appreciating this expansion into paranormal territory. The Louisiana setting, though brief, provides refreshing geographic diversity in a genre often centered on major coastal cities.
The Verdict: A Worthy Addition to Bellefleur’s Oeuvre
Despite minor structural issues and occasional pacing hiccups, The Devil She Knows succeeds as both entertaining romance and thoughtful character study. Bellefleur demonstrates continued growth as a writer, tackling more complex narrative structures and deeper thematic material while maintaining the heart and humor that made her previous works so beloved.
This novel will particularly resonate with readers who have experienced relationships where they diminished themselves to maintain connection, or who have struggled to distinguish others’ ambitions for them from their own authentic desires. The supernatural elements never overwhelm the fundamentally human story at the core.
For those seeking a romance that delivers genuine laughs, thoughtful examination of self-worth, creative world-building, and a relationship worth rooting for, “The Devil She Knows” proves time well spent. Bellefleur has crafted a demon readers will fall in love with and a protagonist whose journey toward self-acceptance feels both specific and universal.
For Readers Who Enjoyed
If “The Devil She Knows” captures your interest, consider exploring:
- Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur – The author’s Lambda Literary Award-winning debut featuring fake dating and astrological skepticism
- Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur – Another entry in her Written in the Stars series
- The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling – Witchy romance with humor and heart
- Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper – Queer witch romance featuring magical competition
- The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun – Contemporary romance examining authentic connection versus performed relationships
- One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston – Time-bending sapphic romance with supernatural elements
- Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner – Workplace romance exploring power dynamics and genuine connection
Final Recommendation: A clever, emotionally resonant paranormal romance that uses supernatural elements to explore universal themes of self-worth, toxic relationships, and authentic love. Highly recommended for readers seeking substance alongside their romance, with the caveat that occasional pacing issues in the middle section might test patience. The payoff, however, proves more than worth the journey.
