DEAL WITH THE DEVIL is Book four in Cynthia Eden's Purgatory series. I think DEAL WITH THE DEVIL can be read as a stand- alone story, but you get a better understanding of the main characters after reading the previous books. As a fan of this series, I was so excited to finally read Eric's book. Eric Pate is the enigmatic leader of the Para Unit. For years he's cleaned up the messes when paranormal creatures go bad, but his motives and psychology has always been a little unclear. I love what direction Cynthia Eden decided to go with Eric in DEAL WITH THE DEVIL.
To say that Eric Pate is a complicated man is somewhat of an understatement. I think Eric is a good guy version of the mad scientist villains that Cynthia Eden is so good at creating. I love that Eric was challenged about who he is and about what separates him from the bad guys. It's even better that he's questioned on that subject directly by one of the villains. Even Eric's colleagues and sister seem to be a little unsure of him at times. The allusions to FRANKENSTEIN are many and amazing in DEAL WITH THE DEVIL. Although there are many ethical shades of gray throughout this book, I like the journey Eric takes in DEAL WITH THE DEVIL before coming to terms with who he is.
Like with other books by Cynthia Eden, the romance between Eric and Ella Lancaster is quick to ignite and is extremely volatile. When Ella first meets Eric, he is just one more guy keeping her locked up. She is weary of being imprisoned. She has no way of knowing that Eric doesn't have any nefarious plans for her. I like how Ella gets Eric to lose his fiercely guarded control. The themes of trust, obsession, freedom, and identity are wonderfully utilized in DEAL WITH THE DEVIL. Ella is as sympathetic a character as Eric is compelling. It is very understandable how decimated her ability to trust is based on her past. I like how well-matched Eric and Ella are.
DEAL WITH THE DEVIL is a multilayered story full of danger and desire. This book, as well as this series, is a must- have for paranormal romance fans. There is a nice balance between the story itself with the ethical questions it brings, and the eroticism. I eagerly await the next book by Cynthia Eden.
Eric Pate is used to making his own rules—as the director of the PARA Unit, he is the boss. Everyone rushes to obey his commands, and no one knows his secrets. No one ever gets too close to him. But then he meets her. Ella Lancaster is tired of being a prisoner. She escaped one hell just to find herself in another, though Eric doesn’t consider her containment with his agents as punishment. He actually thinks it is a form of protection. But Eric is so very wrong. Ella doesn’t need protecting, not for anyone or anything. When the PARA Unit comes under attack, Ella and Eric both find themselves battling a supernatural beast that they never expected. Forced to join forces, to make a deal, Ella and Eric are soon fighting side-by-side, and their attraction for each other can’t be contained or controlled. Hot. Wild. Consuming. Ella’s deal with her devil is soon taking over her life. And as Eric falls deeper and deeper under the mysterious Ella’s spell, his legendary control begins to crack. The beast that he has kept chained so carefully inside rises to the surface. Unfortunately, when the devil loses his control…there is real hell to pay.
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