I couldn’t wait to dive back into Delaney’s supremely gothic world again. Deadly Devotion plunges you back into the unique and magical world of vengeful foes, fire wielding, dark magic, cursed tomes, sentient grumbly houses, pernickety familiars and moody romance. I could keep my list going but I should try and keep it succinct!
Deadly Devotion opens a page turn and a few days after the final events and fallout of the previous book, things are tense, but the storyline gets moving straight away.
I absolutely adored the exploration of Kat’s heritage throughout this book, the power and strength she draws from her familial line brings a lot of emotion into this tale. Alma too has a similarly emotional time, while she doesn’t make as much progress as Kat does - although I’m sure there’s more to come from Alma, her repeated confrontations, be it mental or physical, with her past trauma are really admirable and a great insight into her characters history.
Delaney maintains the dark and moody aesthetic that Tales of a Monstrous Heart thrives off of, yet woven through were bright bursts of friendship and a steady creaking open into the wider world of this tales magic system, setting and storyline.
Once again I have been left in disarray by a cliff hanger and will be waiting impatiently for number 3!

My last note would be, that the book does still need a wee tidy up, there’s quite a bit of spelling and grammatical errors and a few scenes/moments that jump too soon/don’t feel very smooth, but publication is still a few months off so I think tightening up is still possible! Despite this, I did still really enjoy this story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Orion and Gollancz for providing me with a digital reading copy.

Tales of a Deadly Devotion was my top 1 for most anticipated release of 2025 and let me tell you, Jennifer has killed it again! We are thrown straight back into this lush and fantastic world Jennifer has created and the plot starts after the finale on Tales of a Monstrous Heart!

We have so much uncovering about each character backstory that we had the opportunity to delve into deep and also the history of this world and the legends and forbidden compendiums! It was almost magical seeing it all come to play and to focus on the characters. Devotion is definintely a bit more character plot driven versus Tales and I think it was a very good approach to show how versatile and complex this trilogy can be! We also have dual POV between Kat and Alma and they both have such different voices: I love Kat’s, she’s courageous and very clever and I enjoy her chapters the most! And then we have Alma’s who has a heavy voice and struggles daily with her traumas and how to find herself. Then we have more characters from the previous book that came forward in Devotions and made the plot so much better and compelling - yes, looking at you Gideon boy! Emrys is still my very favourite boy tho!

One of the things I adored the most on book 1 and it carried along to this book, is Jennifer’s writing. Sometimes when I’m reading I can connect with a lot of things - from characters to specific situations and even writing - and Jennifer’s writing feels like it was a love letter to my soul! I am not a very visual reader but I can see little glimpses of expressions and touches and I just love how Jennifer describes the situations and makes me feel like I’m actually there and I can see Thean’s smirk, Emrys’ gentle touches, Gideon’s bright blue eyes…! I swear every time Kat and Emrys were having a moment my heart went all giddy and happy - also, William ugh, go get yourself busy with your plants and leave them alone!

I really struggle with sequel reviews as I always try to avoid giving spoilers so here’s my advice: if you enjoyed Tales, get ready to enjoy Devotion as much! It has a beautiful cliffhanger and I cannot wait for the finale of this Trilogy - we have so much to uncover and all the subplots to close! I am ready!

#adpr Many many thanks to the publisher (and author) for this exciting arc! All opinions are my own!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A million stars for my favourites 😍 Being back with Kat, Emrys and the crew (including Blackthorn Manor) was so fantastic. Things seem bleak at first, and after that cliffhanger at the end of book one I expected no less. Having the extra POV chapters added more to the story - and god I didn't know I could love Alma even more but I do. Her and Kat's friendship is just as - maybe even MORE - important than any romantic endeavours in the book too, and is such a fantastic representation of loyal, undying female friendship. As always, the writing is fantastic and the story captivating. So many secrets come to light, and more mysteries present themselves. I'm genuinely going to be insufferable waiting for book three, especially after another highly intense cliffhanger (Jen, please expect me in your DMs) 😅 This series is a must read for anyone who loves the idea of Jane Eyre meets Howl's Moving Castle, but make it gothic and dark and gloomy.

I absolutely loved being back in this world. The interesting magic system, plot, and brilliant characters made the book so difficult to put down. I adored the angst and sarcasm between a few of the main characters, felt all the emotions as history came to light & once again, was left wanting more of Jennifer’s story telling!