4.2 (535 ratings)

Sympathy for the Devil (The Devil You Know Book 1)

Name: Sympathy for the Devil (The Devil You Know Book 1)
Rating: 4.2 (535 reviews)
Author: Christine Pope
ISBN: B00HQ4YMBQ

by Christine Pope

demons

About this book

Ruling Hell has become a monotonous chore for Lucifer, whose boredom with human self-destruction has left him longing for a change of scenery. Seeking an exit strategy, he strikes a high-stakes bargain with God: if he can successfully woo a divinely selected mortal woman, he earns his passage into Heaven. It sounds like a simple manipulation, but the game is far more dangerous than he anticipates.

Enter Christa Simms, an ordinary woman living an unremarkable life. When Luke Nicolini—charming, supernatural, and devastatingly handsome—steps into her world, she assumes it is just a stroke of birthday luck. She has no idea that she is the centerpiece of an eternal wager. As Luke employs his divine charisma to win her heart, the lines between a calculated seduction and genuine feeling begin to blur, threatening the very foundations of his plan.

This dark romance is a refreshing take on the paranormal genre, blending hell-realm intrigue with a witty, character-driven narrative. Christine Pope delivers an original twist on forbidden love, forcing the ultimate anti-hero to confront the vulnerability of his own heart. If you are searching for a steamy, clever, and unpredictable read, look no further than this captivating journey toward redemption.

Publication Date: May 25, 2026
ASIN: B00HQ4YMBQ

Reader Reviews

A well-written romance that'll knock your socks off

April 5, 2014

Sympathy for the Devil was such an enjoyable story. The plot was well thought out and original, something that I'm very happy about as most romances seem to blur together after awhile. The protagonist Christie was believable and humorous, and I was more than a little in love with the devil myself after reading this. Despite the books length (or maybe because of it) I felt the end was rather abrupt and I wish I knew more about what happens to the couple after Luke is made mortal. What about...

Look forward to further efforts from this author!

January 16, 2012

Synopsis: Devil is tired of managing Hell and asks God to let him pass into Heaven. God stipulates this can only happen if the Devil can make a woman God has selected, to fall in love with him. At first I thought the story seemed to reminiscent of others, but the way Pope handled it was overall, very good. It helped how the heroine was agnostic and thus her feelings about the Devil didn't have any religious based fear to them, but a natural wariness based on society's overall depiction of the...

An Absolute Delight!

April 10, 2014

Ms. Pope gives a new twist to the Devil's divine relationship. The major plot? A bargain that has the capacity to free him, or damn him for eternity. While I do wish I could have been in Luke's head more often, I spent many hours devouring this book. It's actually 2 am and I just finished it! Wonderful prose with detailed descriptions and lively characters. For once, the heroine isn't 'perfect,' but perfect in her flaws, making her more realistic. The instances of paranormal activity aren't...

Disappointed. Great idea but often very boring.

January 9, 2017

I really loved how this story started off: 28 years ago the Devil is tired of Hell and makes a deal with God to eventually go back to heaven if he can make a girl God has chosen for him fall in love with him knowing he really is the Devil, and also if he genuinely falls in love with her. And once he introduces himself to her, Lucifer - or Luke - will only have a month to execute the plan. Otherwise, he's stuck in Hell. This intro is written in the third person. And various intervals in the...

Sympathy for the Devil

March 31, 2019

The Devil(Luke) and Christa Simms make up a cute and entertaining story. The Devil and GOD cut a deal which includes a human woman. The Devil, since he has been around a long time, figures this little human will be no problem to seduce and win the special prize he and GOD agreed upon. Not so fast!!! This was a fun read and hilarious at times. I must admit I lost interest in the story when Luke and Christa had a falling out. But once on track, if ended fantastically!! I must say you should keep...