After losing her fiancé to a freak accident, Alexia Riley decides to swear off relationships and focus her energy on conquering the male-dominated sport of professional poker.
When Alexia finds herself being visited in her dreams by a mysterious new man, she begins to wonder if her world is slowly starting to unravel around her.
Tested by a double-dealing nemesis on the tables and tempted by a mysterious "dream man", Alexia soon contemplates making a deal with the Devil to rid herself of these torments. What bargain will she strike with the Dark Prince to get what she wants? As temptation for a mysterious dream man weakens her resolve, a desire to defeat her greatest rival beckons her. Will she sacrifice her soul for victory? Love? Or does she want something else entirely?
The stakes have never been higher for Alexia than they are when she is bluffing the Devil!
CL is eclectic, geeky, positive, nature-loving and completely non-"normal" (just the way she likes to be). She has been a fan of literature since she was a small child and finally decided to take her dreams (both waking and sleeping!) and do something positive with them.
CL has lived all over the world and has a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, minoring in Psychology and Forensics. Which means you don't want to cross her because she knows how and where to hide a body so it's never found! She proudly admits to hearing voices in her head, but at times, her characters' impromptu visits can be rude and annoying. Thankfully, she has adequate patience for their shenanigans and can out ninja them any day of the week.
CL's voice is boisterous, sassy, and not finished yet! Stay tuned!
Bluffing the Devil by Christy Lynn Foster is a tour-de-force paranormal romance with a huge hook - poker! One would think a book about poker would be sooooo boring, like having pizza without mozzarella cheese, but this book has every flavour of cheese imaginable. Alexia has lost the love of her life and to take her mind off her misery she develops a penchant for poker. Okay, now that's different. She becomes good enough to enter a big contest at Atlantic City, so off she goes with her Herd - girlfriends to you and me. Oh and one other thing, she has been secretly messing around with the hottest guy on the planet, Devin, so hot, so smoking hot he can only appear in her dreams. Well he is her dream guy after all. Devin knows all Alexia's buttons and when to push. But as the poker tournament commences another dream character intrudes. She is super sexy and the Devil, no less. Alexia doesn't know what the hell is happening to her. Her life is turned inside out and upside down by another hunk she meets at the tournament - Rey. He also has major issues that become all too apparent as Alexia's life unravels quicker than a ball of wool in a kitten's claws. Events soon turn from irritating to downright nasty and only Alexia can sort things out as her game of cards becomes so much more. This FIVE STAR Paranormal Romance gave me goosebumps in every chapter. I loved it.
What can I say about Bluffing the Devil? It's an amazing first book from a talented and gifted writer who I also count as a friend, who I have been honored to write with and look forward to writing with again in the future.
I have watched this book come together over the months and witnessed the labor, love and tears that have gone into this work, along with countless sleepless nights spent agonizing over plots and characters.
The book does what a work of fiction should do, it takes the reader on the emotional journey that one is looking for from a story, and leaves them attached to the characters and wanting more.
I'm anxious to see what this amazing author does next, the sky is the limit for her and I need to start looking up so I can witness her star.
For the record due to the newness of the release I have chosen to not risk any spoilers, read the story and see for yourself.
Well let me start of by saying that I won a copy of Bluffing the Devil and promised to read it as soon I'm done with my finals- so here I go, I'm done and read it in 2days.
I was pleasantly surprised how good this book turned out to be; actually, I really enjoyed it. It made me giggle and kept my interest throughout. As I promised C.L Foster i won't pay attention to grammar errors and just focus on the story itself.
I also won't give away any spoilers, sorry guys. Additionally I won't re-tell the plot because i'm too lazy, but what I can say is you won't be disappointed to give this author and her new book a chance!!!!
The prologue alone hooked me and I SO WANT A DEVIN AS WELL IN MY DREAMS ;) Devin is yummy, extremely yummy. No wonder Alexia tried to sneak in a nap as often as she could- I would have done it too!! Sadly, Devin was stuck where he was cause the Devil took his life earlier than supposed and he didn't wanna follow Devil's rules any longer.
Oh and there was Rey. Gosh Rey turned out to be a real sweetheart :) I loved their cocky dialogues and was happy they become friends- despite being a Demon. Guess his charm won ;)
Now about the Devil.What didn't surprise me that the Devil turned out to be a she *cough* ....my, my, we women are evil huh LOL - BUT I liked it though.
This book was a great read and everything made sense- good reading pace and no "wth" moments that confused the sh&t out of me. The things I wished to be better were towards the end. It felt rushed and I asked myself if there will be a second book cause I doubt the devil will just give up, especially knowing how special Alexia really is and her use for the Devil . Also I felt a lil sad for Alexia's Guardian (sorry can't tell too much here who he is) and wished for more infos on their time while having a conversation in the old warhouse.
Overall, it's a enjoyable book and I'm glad I won it and got the chance to read it :) It's worth giving it a try. So yeah I recommand it if your up for some hot Demons and want to read something else besides a typical romance story.
Congratulations to C.L. Foster on a magnificent book that gripped me from the beginning.
Alexia has lost the love her life Jamison, and turns her attention to a man's world to conquer, poker. She takes from what her father taught her as a child, puts her game face on and goes to town, becoming one of the ones to beat in their world.
Then she meets her nemesis. Rey. Ever the smooth talker, opening doors, endearments. It annoys Alexia and soon her friends. Something unpredictable happens, and impressions change.
Meeting the Devil isn't exactly what she intended nor is the devil what she expected. Her world again seems to be on the verge of being turned upside down, as she learns the truth about one of her dearest friends.
Read on for I will not give spoilers on this one. It's just one of those books you have to read.
This is C L Foster's first full length novel and what a great read it is too. The characters in this story are feisty and full of fun and will take you along their journey with them. We follow them into the professional world of poker and into the main characters dreams, where her sexy dream man awaits her. However, all is not what it seems and you will be shocked to find out some of the truths that are revealed. This is a really wonderful read, that will draw you in right from the beginning and deliver lots of fun and shocks along the way. You will bond with these characters and long to follow them into the next chapter of their story. I honestly can't wait to read more! I would definitely recommend that you spend some time 'Bluffing the Devil'.
I really enjoyed bluffing the devil .I love how cute ,, and full of C.L.FOSTERS fun loveing personality ,.I have to admit i have never read a book about poker and wasnt sure if i would like the poker side to the book ,well i was wrong i loved it ,.I loved the she devil ,the diemons and of course the angles .this book,shocked me ,things happend that i never seen happening i loved been shocked and surprised .I have to say Cl foster did amazing job with this book well done christy xxxxx
A wonderful funny and entertaining book. The characters have taken a place in my heart and I am asking for their own books. Ms. Foster is going to be busy with requests from readers for more books! A great read!
Bluffing The Devil was a rollercoaster that traveled at lightning speed twisting and turning every possible direction. I was never sure of what was going to happen next or where it was going to happen. What I did know is that Alexia was one jumbled mess with an amazing faith. But the big question is how much was she willing to chance to her faith?
Alexia lost her boyfriend in a tragic accident and when that happened she shut down and swore off men in her life. She left her job and decided she wanted to concentrate on what few can really do. She wanted to play poker…and she was good at it. Good enough to play in some rather large tournaments with big money at stake. But what she didn’t gamble on was the man in her dreams.
The man in her dreams consumed her. He knew each bit and piece of her and he knew them well. The man in her dreams was keeping her from wanting to wake. Alexia had spent so many sleepless nights after the accident that she was thankful for the rest and the mysterious visitor. Always in the darkness, he was there. And they had an amazing connection and she loved catching up on her sleep if it meant she could spend more time with him.
Just when you think the book is headed in one direction with her dreams, it shifts and Alexia is facing the devil herself. She wants more than anything to keep dreaming of the time with the man of her dreams but she wants him to be real more than anything.
One trip to Atlantic City and Alexia’s life will never be the same. Everything implodes around her. The man she thought was her biggest competition was a dark and sinister character and was directed by none other than the devil. All cards are laid out on the table for Alexia and she has to make some tough decisions: stay with the man of her dreams and make a deal with the devil or leave him behind and risk the loss.
The stakes are high in this steamy battle between the heart and the soul. This book was gripping and entertaining and kept me on my toes. It was a great read and I loved all the characters right down to the waiter in the diner.
C.L. Foster took me on an amazing journey through dreams and reality and I loved every moment of it.
**I received a copy of Bluffing The Devil in exchange for an honest review**
After losing the love of her life, well I dont really know if thats true. Jamison was always there and it seemed only natural that they would be together. So im not completely sure I would call him the love of her life.. Crap am I already getting sidetracked? So yeah Alexia lost her finace in a car accident a few months before the wedding and chooses to remain single, focus on playing cards.. Everyone grieves differently at least that’s what I hear. Alexia is a fairly good player.. shes got her poker face down pact. And im sooo jealous of that as I wear my emotions on my selves most of the time.. I also suck at cards.. Unless its Speed then watch out your going down! So being a good player and entering tournaments has taught her a few things and introduced her to some pretty interesting characters. One being Rey smooth talker and imo annoying all the stupid nicknames.. yes im bitter leave me alone. Rey always seems to come out of no where and take off like a shot.
Another guy who has made it into Alexia’s umm life? More dreams really made it into her Dreams is a sexy hunk of man (yep I said hunk) Devin. he makes her feel things she never experienced and she relishes time with him. Which is pretty awesome. Just think how cool it would be to like go to sleep and always be in a good dream. The only thing that seems to be keeping them apart. The Devil. Booyah bet you didnt see that coming.. oh wait you did.. damn title!
Alexia takes her girls to a tournament in Atlantic City where they do come across Rey. Right away they know something off. But they go about their trip until one night things change for Alexia and Rey is there to help her. They bond and im glad it isnt in the bedroom. I just didnt see them together thats all..
Bluffing the Devil was a cute read and honestly I kind of expected it to be a bit steamier. I wasnt disappointed by that just thought I should point that out. I couldve done without all the cutesy nicknames but I get it im weird and I dont use them personally so it felt weird. The banter between all the characters was fun and plentiful.
My, my, my. I don't even know where to start with this one. I don't really do the paranormal thing too much because I feel like I'm too much of a realist. But this book has definitely changed my view a little about paranormal things.
Now I must say, C.L. Foster is a very tricky lady and really puts the "tease" in her teasers! On her author page, she would release a teaser that would have you thinking something completely different than what would be in the book and it would still be amazing! For example, I thought I was going to absolutely DESPISE Rey, but he turned out to be a hilariously creepy guy. Her main character was pretty awesome by herself but her group of bad ass friends were super cool. Rhea and Victoria had the best jobs of course and what a coincidence, my name is Victoria also! I would love to be apart of a bomb squad in real life, but that's neither here or there. I definitely loved how there is a "poker dictionary" type thing that defines some of the poker terms in her book. It definitely helped because I am completely oblivious to what happens in poker. So I'm reading and everything seems all fun and games. Everyone seems to be getting friendly and having a good time and then out of no where, sh*t gets real! I was literally sitting on the edge of my chair going "Oh snap! What the?" I'm not going to go on about what happened, but all I'm going to say is: Talk about war on the home front! People you wouldn't expect start doing things that you wouldn't expect and it's just so crazy! My head is still spinning! I just absolutely loved this book and it took no time for me to finish it because it captured my attention in the first few pages. For this to be her first solo book, I'm extremely pleased. I look forward to more work from this author!
Perfect combination of bitchy, nerd, and sexy. I loved this book! It hurt me when I had to put it down due to life, but when I picked it up again, I was sucked into a world that is unlike any other but still like ours.
Alexia is what appears to be a normal woman trying to live her life to the best of her ability after her fiancee died in a freak accident. She throws herself into spending time with her friends as well trying to win the poker tournament. Her best friends are somewhat normal besides the fact that they constantly protect her and are always making sure that she is okay.
While she's at the tournament, not only is she "stalked" by her nemesis, she also dreams of a sexy man that seems to always take away her fear and worries. Both are total opposites of each other yet in the same respect, they are similar in more ways than she's yet to realize.
God, the Devil, angels, demons and much more come into play in this book and make it the perfect concoction for a great book. Even while the reader might not know that much about the game of poker, they can still enjoy this book while not having to worry that too many poker terms are used. (There is a poker word guide in the front of the book. Helps a lot!)
In any book there is always a lesson to be learned and I think the biggest lesson in this book is that you shouldn't take life for granted or make promises you don't know if you can keep. We throw the words "I promise" so much that I don't think we realize that we may never actually complete those promises and then where does that leave our loved ones that we made the promise to? Always think before you say something that could end up not being true.
Where to begin… Okay, I’ll start with WOW! I am a Paranormal junkie and proud of it. So when this book was offered for a tour, I couldn’t resist. I mean you had it all. God, the bombshell Devil, Angels, Demons and souls to be fought over, it put a whole new swing on supernatural. Right off the bat you are thrown into Alexia’s world albeit, it’s a male dominated one, but hey, she’s one hell of a poker powerhouse. At one point I actually thought the plot was going to take a turn toward the obvious, she sells her soul to the Devil so she can win. I was pleasantly surprised to find that wasn’t so. C.L Foster keeps you on your toes from the first page to the last. There were no plot holes and everything flowed well together. She has well developed and strong characters that will be with you long after the story ends. And in case you were wondering, no, you don’t have to be a fan of poker to get into this book. Between the poker dictionary in the beginning and a general knowledge of cards you will find yourself understanding the terms and action around the tables. I really enjoyed this breakout novel. One of the best I have read this year so far. I can’t wait to see more from Ms Foster. Cheers, my dear! You have a hit on your hands!
One of the most incredible books I have read in a ages. I love the spirit of this writer. We are taken into a male driven and ruled sport, and shown a woman making her mark. I love powerful women. After losing the love of her life she throws herself fulltime into the sport. Suddenly she finds herself having dreams about a man who makes her rethink her life choice to be alone. She wants to spend more time in her dreams than reality. I love when she takes her four closest friends with her to a huge tournament for support. I love the friendships that we see between them. They are incredibly supportive to her new career even down to disliking her arch nemesis. I don't want to give away the story but let me tell you this, you are totally right there with the characters in this book. This Author writes so descriptively that you see everything as if you are sitting beside the heroine watching it all happen. I would never believe that this was a first solo effort for any Author. Very well written and totally consuming of your attention. Never a dull moment. It is a solid MUST READ.
This is, hands down, the most imaginative and original story I have read in a VERY long time. As many romance readers can attest, there is always that ongoing search to find that one storyline that breaks through the stereotypes and monotony of the dime-store novel and gives you something you hadn't even known you wanted. Bluffing the Devil is where you'll find that unexpected satisfaction. Never before have you read a plot like this and never will you again. Foster's careful use of anti-cookie-cutter females and drop-dead gorgeous fellas gives every unique reader something to love, and her 1st person narrator is sexy, tough, and hilarious. There were so many moments where I caught myself smiling like an idiot as the heroine and her friends bantered back and forth. Foster draws you into her world so completely that you won't ever want to leave or read anything else until you've devoured every page. Come into CL Foster's world, where the stakes are high, the characters are real, and you're forced to ask yourself "What do I hold most dear?"
So the old excuse, The Devil Made me DO IT, is oh so true in this case! Alexia has turned her life towards conquering the game of Poker. She takes all the things she was taught as a child from her father and turns on her poker face and goes to town.
I won't go into any details about the book other than if you've never played poker you may want to make sure to read the beginning few pages where the Author kindly took the time to describe quite a few poker terms. Thank god for that or I would have been completely lost.
All in all it was a fun book to read. And I have to say that her experiences with the Devil... well I won't say anything but go grab your own copy of this book and check out what the Devil made HER DO! I give it 4 stars for a good time read.
Details/Disclaimer: Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.
Wow what to say about Bluffing the Devil. When you lose the love of your life, how far would you go? Would you turn to a profession that has mostly been a man's sport for hundreds of years? Would you make a pact with the Devil himself? When Alexia losses her love, She is lost trying to find her new place in the world. She starts dreaming of a man, a man she has never met. She enters into the world of poker and with it a new man. Where there be hell to pay? Is this new man the one she dreams of? Will she be able to replace her true love? Please read the book and trust me you will thank me in the morning. C.L. Foster is an amazing author and you will add her to your list of faves! Love YA Girl and Congrats!
I was given a free copy of this book by the author to leave a review. I really enjoyed bluffing the devil. At first I wasn't sure what direction the book was headed, but as I got into it I couldn't put it down. I love paranormal books and this one had me guessing at every turn. I wasn't sure if I would be able to keep up because I know nothing about poker, but you really don't need to know about poker. There are humans, demons, god, the devil, and an angel, all the aspects of a good book. C.L.s debut novel was great and I think she has proven herself as an author.
Ive never read a story quite like this one. Dynamic characters, powerful wording, beautiful scenery. CLs debut novel proves that she is made to be a writer. The twists and turns in the story kept me guessing and I was blown away. Cant wait for more! I hope this is made into a series.
I really enjoyed this entertaining read. It was a fun page turner. I really liked how real the characters seemed and how well the dialog flowed. This story was not at all predictable which kept me guessing all the way through!
Have to rate my OWN book as a 5, of course.. because I LOVED every moment writing this book. It was tough and a LOT of things got in my way, but... I never gave up on it and put a lot of myself and the people I love into these characters. I hope you guys can love it, too! <3
C.L Foster is a dear friend of mine that I am proud to call "Sis". I wanted to support my friend in her endeavors in becoming a writer, so I did, and I had no idea that this book would be THIS good! I received the book on my Birthday and jumped in very quickly! I wanted to read it all at one time, but I also wanted it to last, so I read it for a few weeks. I was very quickly vested in Alexia's character, and as the story progressed, I became invested in other characters as well. As I read I could truly see C.L Fosters personality coming out in these characters,especially Alexia! I love Alexia's tough ninjaesque attitude, and the imagination that was put into this book. There were some unexpected twists and turns that I did not expect, and that was a welcomed change! I found moments that were deeply emotional, and moments where I literally laughed out loud!If you want to read something different, imaginative, and overall fun, read BTD! I giggled throughout the whole book, and even took a nap after finishing it, and Dreamed about the book! Yes, I don't do spoilers or plots (because you have to read it for yourself), but when something can keep MY attention the BTD did, it is TOTALLY worth your time!
C.L. Foster has one heck of a vivid imagination and it shows in Bluffing the Devil. Her characters, while all having somewhat similar personalities, are easily likeable and while this is her first novel, I have high hopes for her future as an author. When I first read Bluffing the Devil, it took me a few days because my heart wasn't really set on reading. I forgot to review it then, so I reread it just so I could review and got through it in just three hours. I found myself unable to put it down and when I finally forced myself the nap about 80% through, I even dreamed about Alexia, Rey, and Devin. It was definitely worth rereading and I'm glad I got to do so when I was actually feeling it.
Why is my review only 4 stars? There were some spelling mistakes, a few timeline errors, and some redundancy. All of those are minor things that can easily be overcome. All in all, I really enjoyed this read and I can't wait for the next book she releases.
My favorite quote from Bluffing the Devil:
"I don't know if I can maintain a friendship with someone that likes some team named after their town milling industry whose uniforms make them look like deficient bumblebees..."
I was given a free copy of this book by the author to leave a review so here goes...
Demon’s, Angels, God, The Devil, normal humans this book has the lot.... There is love, hate, good and evil
The book is well written and a few times I didn’t see the direction the author was taking you. The lead character Alexia is an amazing strong woman with immense faith and deals with everything thrown at her with the help of her “herd”. Love the strength of the friendships in this book reminds me of my girls
As soon as I started reading this book I was hooked, it’s not too long and it’s a good easy read, the beach was mentioned a lot and I wish I had been on holiday reading this I think its the perfect holiday book to chill out on the beach too.
I am assuming there will be a follow up book as the ending was left open and if so I will be looking out for it to purchase.
Alexia has suffered a loss and as a result she has decided to become a professional poker player. She is actually quite good at it but still has some insecurities. A poker trip with her three besties leads her on a wild-ish ride of self-discovery.
Sounds good, right? It was. I only had a couple of problems reading the book but it stemmed from one flaw. It could have, and should have, been longer. Really. The story wasn't full enough for me to become invested in the characters. I would have liked to get to know Alexia and hr friends a bit more before discovering who she and her friends were. I think this is the making of a better book.
As you can see from the 4 stars I gave it; however, it was still a good book that I was able to read in a couple of hours and enjoy.
I read this book awhile ago and the first thing I thought when I read it was that this author wrote like me. Her imagination was so like mine that I knew I would love this book completely. I did. I feel in love with the characters and their witty personalities and pined for this book even when I was sleeping. I love a good HEA and a hot guy or two along the way never hurt anyone.
I was completely captivated by the fact that the Devil in question is a woman and the fact that the fantasies in here were really well thought through. I love strong woman and her choice in past time or career, she slayed.
I look forward to reading much more from this author in the future, this book was a total gem and it was PERFECTION!
Bluffing the Devil by C.L. Foster was such a fun read. I love the new perspective on good vs evil. This book actually makes me believe good can win. The strongly Christian story line grabbed me and drug me all the way in. I read this book in one sitting, and will probably read it many times. I love the mystery of the characters in the beginning and the 'light' that shines on them at the ending. I hope this is going to be a series. I can only imagine the possibilities. A great story written by a really great author.
So, I am a little confused. I don't know if I like this book or not. I mean it started off really good. Love the characters, but the second half of the book left me wondering if I am reading the same book or not. I really can't go into details of why I didn't like it due to spoilers. I don't regret reading it, but dang!! WTF????
I was able to read this book in one go. I loved the first half of this book. The second half went entirely way too fast for me. I felt like I was getting spun in a revolving door. I'm not saying I didn't like it but, for me, needed to slow way down for absorbing. This book has poker, friends, the beach, Angels, Demons, The Devil, and more.