Fighting for Devlin

A Lost Boys Novel

by Jessica Lemmon

Perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Katy Evans, Jessica Lemmon’s irresistible Lost Boys series kicks off with the story of a good girl who plays by the rules—and the bad boy who brings out her wild side.

Devlin Calvary makes his own luck. Orphaned as a young child, he was taken in by a crew of bookies and gamblers—and they became his family. They’re the reason Dev’s running a trendy bistro, living in a high rise, and enjoying the good life with a string of women who never ask for too much. Until, one night, he finds out how much it hurts to trust the wrong people. . . .

Rena Lewis sticks to the straight and narrow, determined not to slip up again . . . like the terrible night of partying four years ago that ended in tragedy. A waitress at Oak & Sage, she knows that sleeping with her boss is not a smart move. But when Dev shows up on her doorstep, beat up and clearly shaken, Rena’s not about to turn him down . . . or kick him out of bed.

Dev reawakens something primal within her—a need to go wild. And Rena soon finds out that the heart she’d sealed away years ago still has the power to fight for love.

I don’t usually read New Adult stories (and I didn’t realize this was one until after I started reading it), but I would have made an exception anyway since it is one of Jessica Lemmon’s books 🙂  I’ve only read her Second Chance series but I’ve enjoyed those so much that I’m going to have to go back and read the Love in the Balance books too.  And I’ll be waiting for the next Lost Boys book because if Cade’s story is anything like Devlin’s it will be worth it – we’re given a preview of Falling for Caden here and I’m super curious about it.  I think that his story could be complex.

OK, back to this one.  You have to be OK with the whole bad boy thing.  It’s a popular sub-genre with the whole MC club and such, and while it isn’t my favorite it works here.   Devlin had an unusual upbringing and it has transitioned into his adulthood.  He’s quite comfortable with it, until he meets Rena … and gets hit (literally) with some of the seedier side of his life.

The whole arrogant, street thing is not my bag but Dev is appealing enough I can see where it works for some.  (While things he says and doesn’t do it for me, I can understand why it would for others.)  And I really appreciated his journey to trying to straighten out his life.  He’s not a bad guy, really, just one that dances on that other side of the line.

Rena, for all the bad things that has happened to her, seems a little young in comparison to the maturity that life has given to Dev.  But she has grit and determination, as well as a good understanding of people, which makes her a good foil for him.  I really like how she’s not willing to just walk away when things get a little rough.  He’s awfully hard on her quite a few times and she sticks it out because she sees that there is something more going on with him.  Again, his treatment of her isn’t my thing, but it isn’t horrible and fits in that bad boy thing.

Fighting for Devlin isn’t going to appeal to everyone but Lemmon is a fantastic writer, creating interesting characters as well as a complex storyline.  There’s a lot going on here but it is so engrossing that you will find it hard to put the book down until you turn that last page.  I’m rating high because, for those that like this kind of thing, this is a story that can’t be missed.

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