Okay, so I know that there are MANY people who are obsessed with Penelope Douglas and this book series in particular. I was really excited to get a chance to read the series based on what others have said. Unfortunately, I have to say that I really struggled reading it. Maybe it's just not my cup of tea? DNF, giving a three star because I can't leave it blank.

Reading Hideaway brought me back to my soap opera days of the 80s. A quick read with some complex characters and steamy scenes.

YES! this has saved the Devils Night series for me because I just wasn't really into Corrupt as much but wanted to keep going with the series with all the hype and I am SO GLAD I DID! Hideaway features Kai and Banks! Banks was such a fierce heroine and the way Kai would get protective and sweet for her, UGH! YES KAI!!

Loving the continuation of the Devils Night series in the second installment. Dark, angst filled, steamy, and suspense ridden…I will definitely be continuing the series. The writing, plot, and intricacies of the characters and their development is worthy. Loving this author !

All the twisted games of Devil's Night from the first book are continued in this sequel. An abandoned hotel called the Pope is shrouded in mystery about guests who check in but never check out. Everyone knows the legends surrounding the hotel but Kai believes the myths and he and his friends set out to scare Banks but she has other plans for Devil Night. If she has her way Kai will be the one being hunted. What Banks doesn't count on is how 3 years behind bars has changed Kai. He wants the hotel and the more time he spends with Banks the more he starts to believe that his time in prison has shaped him into exactly who he needs to be.

The perfect addition to the Devil's Night series! Loved every single second of this book! Penelope Douglas knows how to write a GREAT book.

Hideaway
(Devils Night 2)
Overall Rating: 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice Scale: 4 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/ 5
Character Dev: 5 💙💙💙💙💙/5
Genre: Romantic Suspense 📕
Tropes: Hidden Identity, Forced Proximity, Second Chance, Morally Grey, Enemies to Lovers, Found Family📘
Re-Released: Jan 9, 2024🗓️
POV: Dual 👩‍❤️‍👨
Formats: (P)📚, (KU)📱,🎧
Pages: 542 📄
CW: Violence, Abuse, Mentions of CA & SA⚠️

Author: 👩‍💻
Penelope Douglas

Blurb: 📖
Kai and Banks had one wild night together as teenagers before Banks disappeared without a trace. Years later, in their bid to find Damon’s whereabouts Michael, Will, and Kai made a visit to Damon’s father to find information. They didn’t find Damon, but they did find Banks. Now Banks is teaming up with Kai and crew to find Damon, everyone is hiding their goals and motivations, but Banks and Kai are hiding so much more.

Thoughts: 💡
This was my second read through and I forgot how much I loved this book. Angsty romance, dark themes, and taboo smut scenes make this series iconic. The schenagains Kai and Banks get up to are crazy hot with an intense push and pull relationship.
Berkley is re-releasing the first three books in the series and I’m incredibly excited to read them again. With any luck Nightfall will get a rewrite and this series will shoot right back up to the top of my list of favorites.

Fun Bits:
⚜️ Wild Secrets
⚜️ Painful Pasts
⚜️ Morally Grey Characters
⚜️ Wonderful Side Characters
⚜️ Standalone Romance, Series Long Plot
⚜️ Super Hot Smut In Some Taboo Places

Important Note:✨
This is book 2, the romance is contained independently in this book, but the plot stretches over the whole series.

Quote:📖
“We’re only ever good, because there are consequences,”

What a marvelous story. Once I started, I couldn’t seem to put it down. I was intrigued right from the beginning. I felt this book was very well written, and the characters had depth, which is one of the things I enjoy most about books.

Banks and Kai have a bit of history dating back six years. Though they were no longer entangled, Banks kept an eye on Kai and all his other entanglements. Once everything came out, Kai is determined to bring Banks in the fold. Does she have what it takes to be in his lifestyle?

Whoa! There is a lot going on in this book. There are a lot of twists. I went on the deep ride and loved every moment of it. Just like the first book in the series, the story is wild, crazy and very dark at times. This series is not for the traditional romance lover. The characters are uniquely broken and are designed to fit with their partner.

I absolutely loved Banks. She is up there as my top badass heroine of all times. I like a female lead that is strong, smart and strategic enough to play the games with the other characters. She doesn’t let the guys run her. She definitely didn’t let Rika get in her way. OMG, I was loving the fighting.

Kai is a good male lead. He is very protective and caring of Banks. They have history so that makes sense. However, I felt like he took a back seat to his own story. Just like in the first book, he is a third in some weird way. I think Damon’s presence became front of center.

This is the real reason I couldn’t give it 5 stars. The author used this book to set up Damon’s story. Yes, I’m intrigued to run down that rabbit hole of Damon’s twisted and broken mind, I wanted to focus on Kai and Banks. There is entirely too much time spent on a secondary character which kills the joy from what I liked about Kai and Banks.

Just like that, I still can’t wait to read more. This series is not for the faint of heart. There’s a lot of suspense and intrigue. I recommend this for my readers who love a good dark romance.

~ Samantha

This is the second book in the Devil's Night series which is recommended to read in order. I really enjoyed this book and I didn't think I would because I wasn't a huge fan of Kai in the first book. But Douglas made me see him in a different light. I really enjoyed how the second book picks up from the first. I read Corrupt a while ago but I never felt lost while reading this one. Douglas did a good job making sure readers know well what is going on with the character's lives. The storyline was well written and I enjoyed the conflicts that were in this book. We learn more about the characters and the setting of Thunder Bay. The pacing was fast even though it was a long book but it never felt like that. The book is told from dual povs but also from past povs.

Kai is the MMC who doesn't know what is happening in his life expect he wants to be isolated and get Banks. I enjoyed learning more about his character even though he's still more mysterious than the other horsemen. Banks is the FMC and I really liked her character. She has been through a lot especially because of who she is but I loved seeing her be bada**. They both have great character development and I enjoyed reading their story more than Michael and Erica's. The side characters are still the same with a few minor ones added but we see more of Damon's father's character. The romance is he falls first, hidden identities, and enemies to lovers(ish) with some steamy scenes.

The ending was well done and I'm excited to pick up the next book to see what happens next. This book was less explicit compared to the first one where it was more cruel. I believe the next book is Damon's and I'm excited to see how Douglas wrote his story because there is more to him than we thought. I recommend checking this series out but I recommend reading the triggers.

*this e-arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

**I received this book as an arc through Net Galley**

I became obsessed with this series after reading Corrupt, and Hideaway did not disappoint! I loved Banks as the female lead and all the twists and turns this book had! Penelope Douglas does such a good job jumping from past to present while also filling in blanks from book 1! I thought this book was so well written and it captured my attention instantly!! I am a big fan of good plot twists, and Hideaway definitely had those!! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dark romances, spice, and big OMG moments!!

Overall rating: 8/10
Spice rating: 4.2/5

I loved this book after the first read, and I’ll continue loving it every time I reread. I love Penelope Douglas’s writing and attention to detail in their stories, and I am absolutely in love with the Devil’s Night series. From start to finish I was hooked. PD’s way of giving the reader a piece of the puzzle with each chapter is something that I enjoyed so much in Corrupt, and I was thrilled to see the same method of story telling in Hideaway. The characters are complex with well developed backstories that make sense and aren’t glossed over either, which I really appreciate. I love KaiBanks with my whole heart. And I will continue to read anything and everything that Penelope Douglas writes.

The legacy of Devil's Night continues in Hideaway, with a story with Kai as the central character. No one is the same after that Devil's Night, especially Kai who is withdrawn and damaged from his incarceration. When Banks comes into the picture, she gives him a bit of a challenge, especially when it comes to the threesome that happened that first Devil's Night.

I'm not going to say much more than that because I don't want to spoil anything. I do like a good dark romance, and this series is hitting some of those buttons.
But sometimes things are just so over the top that I have a hard time being engaged with the story.

Overall, Hideaway is a dark romance that continues the story of the four horsemen in the series. I'm not totally convinced that I like these characters yet. Sometimes I do, sometimes not so much. I did like Banks in this installment. She's strong and capable and I liked that about her. Recommended for dark romance readers.

Hideaway is the second book in the Devil's Night series. While it may have been a slower burn compared to the previous book I still found myself captivated by the story of Kal and Banks. This installment delves deeper into Damon's character, shedding light on who he is and how he came to be. I am eagerly anticipating the opportunity to read the next book in the series.

This book was great in the first half and then slowly died as it went on. I loved the continuation of the book from the first one and will plan on going to the next.

I know it’s only book two in this series, but this one so far is my favorite! I was hooked from the moment I started this one! It was pretty much a one sit read! There were so many twists and turns! I couldn’t put this book down because I just wanted to see how everything would unfold and by the time I got to the end I wasn’t ready! In ways Im thankful it has taken me so long to read this series so I don’t have to wait for the next book! The next book is one of my most least favorite characters ever. I don’t know if there will be any redemption but I will go along for the ride to see! This can be read as a standalone but I think you would enjoy the story way more if you read the books in order. Off to start the next book!

Another great read from Penelope Douglas! I will say that I didn’t love this as much as the first; but I was still very hooked to it. The main reason that my enjoyment was lessened had to do with Kai and Banks not really being the full focus of their story. It felt like this was one huge prologue to Damon’s story. Now, in saying that... it doesn’t mean I wasn’t sucked right in! I am extremely excited for Damon’s story and I loved getting history on what makes him tick! I just feel like Kai and Banks got cheated out of their own love story!

I did enjoy the little love story their was between Kai and Banks! Their sex was blazing hot and I gobbled it up! This whole series so far has been a perfect one to read right around Halloween! There is so much mystery, anticipation, and at times it’s eerie! I love it!

Next up is Damon’s book and it’s going to be a doozy! I need to brace myself... because he is king of anti-heroes... and I can’t imagine coming to like him!!! But, I have been known to change my mind when it comes to the villains! So let’s bring it on! I am going to buckle up and hope for the best!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Berkley publishing group for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.

The plot and romance in Hideaway are mainly stand-alone, so while it was not critical that I didn't read the first book in the series (Corrupt) first, I really should have. It would have provided the backstories that would have made me like the characters a bit more.

I like the premise of the book; a dark romance, with lots of suspense and sexy stuff. This book focuses on alpha male Kai Mori, who is a billionaire real estate mogul, a martial arts guy, and an ex-convict. He is also one of the Four Horseman. He is mysterious and dark, and used to getting what he wants. Banks is a good girl working for a bad man. She seems to be a quiet and reserved girl, who has been broken...but she is hiding secrets. Their stories are full of twists and turns.

The suspense in the book revolves around The Pope, an abandoned hotel which holds secrets in its inaccessible 12th floor. The hunt is on for a bad man with a dark past named Damon. And Kai hopes The Pope is where he will find him. But the key to finding Damon may be closer than Kai thinks. Will Banks reveal her secrets to Kai and be his forever?

I like this book, and most of the characters (except Michael), but I didn't LOVE them. Kai and Damon seemed interesting enough, but I do think I would like reading a book that focuses more on Damon than this one. I'm not really a big fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope. Also, there were some good dark and steamy parts, but was not up to the usual level of steaminess I prefer in romance books.

If you are a fan of Penelope Douglas, and dark romance/romantic suspense you will like this book. But I definitely recommend reading Devil's Night #1 first to have a better, more thorough reading experience.

This book… to be honest, it just wasn’t my thing. It was really good in the first half, but it just didn’t do it for me with the second.

This is my second time reading this book and honestly I enjoyed it more the second time than I did the first. My only complaint is the length of the story. It feels so long. The beginning dragged for me as not much happens until the last 30% of the book. Even though this story itself wasn’t my favorite. I love this series.