Eve Devon

This book is wonderful, it’s remarkable. It will make your heart do so many things: hurt, weep, sigh, rejoice, beat so fast you think you’ll faint. Silly parts, serious parts, swoony parts, it has them all. A story so well plotted, well written, with well-developed characters that become special to you.

Ashleigh’s not in a very good place but she won’t admit it. She’s dealing with grief by wrapping herself up, closing herself off, like a once wide open, blooming, beautiful flower show more that has now regressed to a tight little bud that may never bloom again. She’s just fine, thank you very much, and she has a response for every challenge to that declaration. She only needs a date to a wedding, not a relationship, so what’s wrong with asking her friends to interview potential candidates for her? Nothing. It was the right thing to turn down that promotion and leave her job, because she has a different job now, one she loves and excels at. Perfect. And if she says all this to herself enough times it might just become true.

Ashleigh is a cleaner. And that’s how she meets George. Well, ‘meets’ is not exactly accurate. She cleans his apartment and through spending several hours a week in his space learns many things about him, gets to know him well.

George, on the other hand, doesn’t think he’s fine but he’s sure he’s got the solution to fix that. He just needs that promotion and those pesky panic attacks will stop. And unlike Ashleigh, he does have a relationship – with the boss’s daughter who will someday run the company, a driven, to the point woman to be sure, but she and George clicked at some level at one time – he moved from England to New York because of it, didn’t he – so the relationship must be great. Yep, great.

Both Ashleigh and George have a lot of history they aren’t quite dealing with. His apartment is so tidy and clean he hardly needs a cleaner, but something about her being there (when he’s not) just feels kind of good.

They do eventually meet, and things seem good, then bad, then awful, then who knows what this is. Crosswords play a charming part in this story – wait for 7,2,4,4,3. You’ll love it. Bakery owners Oswald and Carlos of Oscars are delightful, caring, protective friends. Mrs. Lundy – Hildy – has some valuable insight and advice. And George’s romance speak? #MakesYourHeartFlutter.

Thanks to Harper Collins Publishers UK, One More Chapter for providing an advance copy of The Life-Changing Magic of Falling in Love via NetGalley, and giving me one of the most enjoyable, smile-provoking, heartwarming stories I have read in a long time. Author Eve Devon has done a fantastic job in portraying people coping with loss and fear, trying valiantly to work their way through, buoyed by friends and family and provided a very, very, very satisfactory ending. I will definitely be reading more by this author. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. show less

Cute and lighter read despite some heavier themes. Ashleigh was once a magazine proofreader now working as a cleaner. George works in advertising, meets Ashleigh when she is assigned to clean his apartment. They're sweet, and the crossword puzzles were a nice meet-cute vehicle. Be warned that both characters struggle with anxiety issues, although for very different reasons, and there are a lot of instances of them dealing with and describing their anxiety and panic attacks. Their experiences show more with controlling their anxiety seems realistic, although the means to them resolving their anxiety issues felt a bit too formulaic (but realistic, I guess, for a romance story). I liked the touches of humor and Ashleigh had a nice level of snark. I was a little mixed on them as they were getting together initially, their face-to-face chemistry seemed clunky and it was almost as if their personalities were more clearly expressed before they met in person. It did even out a bit after that, but I almost enjoyed their characters better when they were apart. Great supporting cast! Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this story, this is my objective opinion. show less

Five years ago, Brooke Bennett was living the life every musician dreams of. She was part of a highly successful band and walked away from it all after she’s rescued from her stalker’s clutches. While she cuts herself off from her friends to live a quiet life in another country, Brooke’s former bodyguard, Cameron Dexter, is hard at work running his security business. When word reaches him of Sprinks’ release, he only has one priority, to protect Brooke. Eve Devon has us asking, what show more would we do if we were put in Brooke’s shoes? Devon’s The Waiting Game has it all, suspense and hint of romance.

In terms of characterization, we have sexy Cameron. He’s dedicated to his job and when he hears about Sprinks’ release, he didn’t have to personally collect Brooke. It’s clear he takes his job seriously and blames himself for not protecting Brooke five years ago. Brooke is a tough woman and no shrinking violet. She doesn’t want to leave the house she’s been living in, but at the same time wants to confront Sprinks head on. I commend her for wanting to do it, but I have to take Cameron’s side here and have them proceed with caution. We’re introduced to Megan, Brooke’s signing partner. She clearly loves Brooke and I’m not sure if Brooke understood at the moment, that when she walked away from Nocturne, she left Megan without a job. I was a bit worried at how Devon would introduce Megan, but I’m glad she was a true friend to Brooke. We also have Steven, Nocturne’s manager and he’s a piece of work! It’s clear where his priorities lie. Then of course we have Sprinks, who is crazy as can be.

Now the big question I kept asking myself was why Brooke blamed herself for being kidnapped and what exactly went wrong. Plus I had all sorts of questions regarding this attraction both Cameron and Brooke were clearly fighting. Never fear, Devon addresses it in a flashback scene and it was eye opening. You can’t help but wonder what would have happened between them if Sprinks hadn’t come into the picture. Brooke is also afraid to show parts of her body because of the scars left by Sprinks. You could feel Brooke’s uneasiness and when you find out exactly what Sprinks did, you’ll be ill because it is clear how sick he really is. While you want to loathe him, you can’t and at times I wanted to shake him and plead for him to get help. Devon does a superb job giving us a first class creeper.

I was a little disappointed at how neatly Spinks was dispatched, but in the back of my mind something just didn’t add up. Devon expertly leaves behind clues and even when I thought I had everything figured out, she throws us a curveball. At that moment, my heart broke for Brooke because here she was trying to live her life and to be betrayed the way she was, saddened me. It makes me glad she had Cameron there for support. Also both of them were able to heal and take responsibility for the past and both realized that they really weren’t at fault. A mad man dead set on getting to someone will do whatever he can and I have no doubt that if given the opportunity someone close to Nocturne would have sold Brooke and given Sprinks access to her.

I really enjoyed Eve Devon’s The Waiting Game. What I really liked was that it set primarily in London, but it felt like it could take place anywhere in the world. If you’re looking for a well fleshed out romantic suspense, I highly recommend Eve Devon’s The Waiting Game. Just be aware, I’m not responsible for any sleepless nights you may have trying to finish the book or drooling you may have over Cameron. show less

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'The Waiting Game' is a twisty, well paced story with a damaged but so courageous heroine - Brooke and a sexy, guilt ridden hero - Cam. Hooked from the first chapter I read this book in a couple of hours.
The stalker element in this story is menacing. The author conveys Brooke's horrific experiences cleverly without resorting to descriptions of gratuitous violence. Sharing Brooke's point of show more view brings the fear and lack of control she experiences vividly to life. The plot has lots of twists and a few nasty surprises for Brooke and Cam.
Cam's need for control is a symptom of his guilt complex which proves an almost insurmountable barrier for Brooke to climb. The chemistry between the couple as Cam refuses to let his passion override his duty is sizzling. The emotional bond between the couple is tangible they so deserve their happy ending but will they get it?
Well written secondary characters enhance the story's realistic edge. I would love to read Ellie and Alex's stories.
The balance of romance and suspense in 'The Waiting Game' makes it an enthralling read. show less