Capturing the Devil

oh my god does this drag on. i just ceased to care

i'm allowed to be happy that i finally finished another series i started almost a decade ago + read three books in a day (with this being the third) methinks :)

anyways. oh audrey rose. she is so book-smart when it comes to death and corpses but is not with literally anything else. tho i do have to say i'm a bit proud of her for almost pulling a pip fitz-amobi in as good as dead at the end there. like. go girl give us the ending i wanted but then don't. whatever. thomas cresswell is still a perfect blend of annoying and charming. liza is just annoying. all of the other characters exist. what a perfect ending. <3

also vv excited for the new covers kerri announced on instagram the other day, the sjtr one is gorgeous n i can't wait to see the rest

3.75/5 stars

About the book
After the awful events on the RMS Etruria, told in “Escaping from Houdini”, “Capturing the Devil” follows the story of the amazing Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell as they make their way through New York. New crimes appear, women disappear and Thomas and Audrey try their best to solve the mystery in New York and then Chicago. Will they capture the devil, before the devil captures them?

Plot

The story was purely amazing. I fell in love so hard with both Thomas and Audrey, they are some of my favourite characters ever. Their love for each other is so inspiring, the fact that they never gave up on their relationship, even when the whole world was against them cough.
“My love for you will be a constant in a sea of unknown variables. We may fight or be cross with each other, but our love will never fade or wilt. Trust in that. Trust in us.” is what Thomas told Audrey and I felt that with all my heart. He loves her so much, it's impossible not to love him for this reason simply.
Their relationship has grown so much after the third book and I admire it, it's the kind of love that everyone wants to feel once in a lifetime. Their partnership in crime is great too and this book shows just how good they work together in order to solve the worst cases of murder out there.

Characters

As you may already know, Thomas is amazing. He is such a lovable character and I can't get enough of him. I love the fact that the author has shown that Thomas is not a perfect man, that he has his flaws and his fears, but that's what makes him such an interesting and awesome character. Everything he says and does regarding Audrey Rose has left my heart in pieces, because that kind of love is just so strong and emotional. I loved reading about his thoughts and feelings of Audrey Rose.

Miss Wadsworth is one of the strongest female characters I've ever encountered. In a men's world, she doesn't let anything bring her down. Not the fact that she wasn't supposed to do a lot of the things that she's doing, not the fear of being judged by the society. She only cares about her love for Thomas and about solving the greatest mystery in America, the crimes of the devil.
My heart ached for her when she thought how being a woman was a bad thing in those times, because she was such a great character and she didn't deserve to be treated like she wasn't worthy of admiration.
Her saying “Can you imagine? Living in a place where you needn't require an escort to go anywhere?” made me so sad, because women have suffered so much in the past and are still suffering, even in 2020. They're considered weaker, worse than men. But Audrey Rose is the perfect example of how a woman can be better in so many ways than any man existing on this planet. She's fierce, strong and I love her for that and for protecting the ones she loves.

Final thoughts
This book is really, really good and it deserves even more than 5 stars. I loved every part of it and I am so sad that it's the final book in the series, because I NEED more of Thomas and Audrey Rose. I am happy that there was a happy ending for them though. Loved it, I highly recommend this book!

Really more like 3.5-3.75 stars.

There was too much focus in the middle of the book on the romance rather than the murders. I definitely enjoyed the murder mystery aspect of this series more than the romance and while the romance is a large part of the series, it took the forefront in this installment more so than in other books and I was not a fan.

I do not regret reading this book, but I expected really something more. It was entertaining mostly, however the overall story was ruined by a number of deep holes in the plot.

I originally read this book back in 2019 when it was released but apparently I just gave it a rating and never actually wrote a review for it so since I reread it in October with Destiny I thought it was time for me to finally write down my thoughts on it. I didn't reread the whole series I just reread this one and the novella Becoming the Dark Prince to help give Destiny the motivation to finally finish the series and I have to say I loved it just as much this time as I did the first time I read it. 

Audrey Rose and Thomas are one of my favorite couples I have read and Thomas is one of my all time favorite characters. With this book at least to start with the focus was more on the romance which for me I absolutely loved although I will say there was a scene that ripped my heart out when I first read it and even this time despite knowing it was coming it was still able to break my heart but I loved how Thomas and Audrey Rose didn't completely let this situation affect they way they acted with each other. 

I loved that we also had characters from previous books making appearances all throughout this one. I also have to mention that this book doesn't focus as much on the murders and investigation as the previous books. Like I mentioned earlier it's mostly focusing on the romance. I know some people will not like that but for me it was perfect since I love these characters so much. 

I'm so happy I was able to fit in a reread of this book especially since I love everything this author writes. It's nice to just go back to a favorite every now and then.