Katee Robert kicks off a new series and let me say this, take a deep breath before you begin this book because once you start it, you won’t be able to take a full one till you are done.

I’ve been huge fan of this author since her first book and when I heard that she was going to branch out into a new genre, I was all hells yeah! Just hand it over and nobody gets hurt. What I didn’t expect (and how stupid of me) was to become completely obsessed with this book. I loved it. I couldn’t carve enough time out of my day to read this fast enough.  Hello re-read as soon as I get the chance. Yes it’s that good.

If you love twisty, darker suspense with some romance thrown in then THIS is your next book. It will leave you pointing the finger of blame at half the characters, wanting the others to be innocent and have you gasping WHOA when all is revealed. I know I totally did not see that coming.

When you have a mysterious cult, the cult leader’s daughter who escaped years ago but suddenly returns, dead bodies of young girls turning up in quiet town and a sheriff who protects his own, you know without a doubt that you are in for a storyline that will drag you in without you realising it and keep you there to see what happens next.

The fact that the author does it so effortlessly, is truly a gift that she showcases in The Devil’s Daughter. Now I’ve had taste, I want more. I’m not going to give a single spoiler away because you need to experience this book, there is no better way of describing it. Just dive in and don’t look back.

Katee Robert jumped into a new genre in style with this book, without a doubt. She has once again proven why she’s an auto buy author for me no matter what she writes.

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book via Netgalley for review from the publisher.

This book is a bit of a challenge for me.  I picked it up and put it down several times.  I even tried to read another book to clear my head and try again.  But I think for me, the main problem was that the flow of the story felt off.  For one thing, I really needed more background on Eden's childhood.  It was such a pivotal part of the book, and yet I felt very confused about the cult.  I needed to know more, to fully understand what they believed in and what Eden went through.  Parts were explained, but most was hinted at, and that meant I had to drawing my own conclusions.  Normally this is fine, but in such a complex book, I needed more help.  The other issue was the romance.  Honestly, I feel that the romance took away from the story.  The chemistry was just not there, even in the end.  I would have preferred a straight crime story, rather than a mystery romance.  It didn't feel authentic but forced.  This author is obviously very talented, but this book did not work for me.

This is the first book I have read by Katee Robert and I can't wait o read more by this romantic suspense author.  
Katee Robert as the ability to create a wall balanced romantic  suspense story all the while having readers desiring to know more about Eden and the zealot cult she was raised in. 
The Devil's Daughter is a balancing out the dark with the romance between the two leads in this story it was Zach and Eden. 
Katee ability to weave a story that will keep readers guessing until the end of the story who is the killer was perfection in every way. 
Once you start his book you will not be able to put it down.  Make sure you read it with the lights on.

Advance Copy From Netgalley.for my thoughts and opinion 

.

What a great book! Starting from the first page I wanted to follow Eden to learn why she returned home. The cult story line was so different then anything I've read in awhile. A cult, a serial killer and two great main characters with just the right amount of suspense was a very enjoyable read.I hope there will be a sequel to this book.

Reasons I loved The Devil's Daughter:

1. Eden works for the BAU and that is hella cool.
2. I find cults fascinating!
3. While I did guess the killer, I didn't quite get it right either.

The Devil's Daughter is honestly a unique read. When you read 300 books a year like I do, you don't often get to say that! Eden grew up the daughter of a cult leader and left as soon as she turned 18. Now she specializes in understanding cults and their leaders while working for the FBI. There is the murder mystery aspect to the plot, and there is a romance aspect as well (but this is secondary). As a reader, you are constantly wondering who would do such a heinous thing in this tiny town? Could it be the obvious cult leader? Is it possible its a total stranger? Eden's mother is manipulative and conniving on a whole different level so you know that even if she isn't the killer, she is by no means innocent of crimes! You get the sense that even when Eden and Zack figure out who the killer is, the cult will still exist and that it will still be dangerous. What made this book chilling is you get to see the psychological influence of a cult.

If you want romance, this story is a bit light on that. While there is romance and sex, it is certainly the secondary story. If you like psychological thriller type stories, The Devil's Daughter is a great pick.

There’s something about Katee Robert’s books, and her writing, that just calls to me. 

This story was a little different to what I’ve read from the author before. Whilst there is still a romance blossoming slowly between the key protagonists, Sheriff Zach Owens and FBI Agent, Eden Collins, this book was more focused on the mystery, intrigue and suspense of the storyline.

Let me tell you, the title of this book captures the story perfectly. Eden is quite possibly the devil’s daughter. Brought up in a cult commune run by her mother, Martha, Eden has been mentally and physically abused and forced to play along with her mother’s wish to portray her as Persephone, a character from Greek mythology which the cult focuses its beliefs on. In playing this part, her mother subjected her to cruel and tortuous practices and rituals. Now she has escaped her mother’s clutches and is working for the FBI. Thinking she is free of her past, she is brought up short when she receives an image of a dead girl, marked with her tatoos, found in her home town. Eden knows that against her best intentions, she must return to Clear Springs to find out exactly what is going on, and to face her mother. 

Zach needs all of the help he can get with one girl dead and another missing but when Eden arrives, with evidence of the death, he is immediately suspicious. Why would she return to Clear Springs now unless she had something to do with the murder? 

The pair soon joins forces though and work together to find out exactly who is targeting the young girls in the town and to find out exactly what Martha has to do with their disappearances. With their close working relationship, the pair tries, in vain, to ignore the growing feelings that they have for one another. 

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout and I didn’t see the ending coming, at all. Whilst the content is sensitive in nature, it is handling carefully and not overly gratuitous. The inclusion of Persephone was another brilliant addition to the storyline which added, even more, intrigue when trying to understand the minds of the cult and its leaders. 

Overall, a highly recommended story and one to keep you wondering, just who is the killer at large?

This ebook was kindly provided by the author and Netgalley prior to release date in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Unfortunately the book was not for me, no review was publicly posted on Amazon, B&N, Goodreads or Twitter etc, so no ratings were affected in relation to it.

An edgy, chilling, suspense with a touch of romance that you won't want to miss! The uniqueness of the storyline, complex characters, secrets, lies, betrayal, mystery, intense situations, and surprise twists will keep you on the edge of your seat from the start through the very end. An intriguing mystery/suspense that made for a great read.

The primary aspect of this story was the mystery and suspense. It had some romance, but it seemed to play more of a secondary role. The suspense part of the story was interesting, engaging, and kept you wondering who was behind the murders, as well as what was going on with the cult that Eden's mother created. I figured out part of the who, but was surprised at what the shocking end revealed. 

The romance wasn't horrible, but I wasn't able to connect with the characters in this regard. I didn't feel their connection or chemistry, and at times it seemed almost forced. Honestly, I believe that this story would have been better off without the romance included. Just my opinion. 

I really enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it to others. 

I received an arc from the publisher via NetGalley. I voluntarily reviewed this book.

Ms. Robert usually writes hot and steamy, but this is totally opposite.  We have murder, a cult and small town police along with a side of horrible childhood memories.  One of the best suspenseful books I've read in a while.  Just when you think you can figure out who's killing young girls in some ritualistic manner you get redirected.  Her interwoven clues were subtle and I never put it together until the end.  If you enjoy an edge of your seat thrill ride with an edge of sexual tension this is your next fix.  I wrote this review voluntarily after reading an advanced copy.

The Devil's Daughter is Katee Robert's brand new romantic suspense following Eden Collins as she returns to her hometown. For her it's not a happy visit and all the town of Clear Springs brings her are bad memories. Now an FBI agent, Eden has returned to finally expose her mothers cult as the evil it really is and prove that the cult had something to do with the disappearance and death of two young women. With the help of the towns Sheriff, Zach Owens, she sets off to catch the person murdering these girls and marking them with the same tattoo's Eden herself was once marked with. 

From the very start of this book I was invested in finding out the mysteries these pages held. There were twists at every page turn and I liked that this story was able to keep me on my toes. The characters were great to read about and I liked that they weren't too focused on. Instead of wasting time trying to get to know everything about Zach and Eden we were thrown right into murder and suspense, which I thought was perfect. All of the characters still had a good development and kept me intrigued, but my main focus was on finding out how the story was going to end. 

I found Katee Roberts ability to write such an intense suspense, yet keep a good amount of romance in the mix, captivating. She wrote everything in such a way that I was constantly wondering what was going to happen, both in the investigation and in Eden's personal life. This is very different from the other books I've read by her but I thoroughly enjoyed the change and hope she'll write more in the Romantic Suspense genre. Overall, I recommend this book for any mystery lovers and will warn you to make sure you start when you will have time to read the whole book at once. Trust me, you won't want to put this down once you start.

This book kept me guessing to the end. I loved the suspense and the romance of this book. It wasn't over the top on either one. It focused on the story and did't try to overshadow it with unneeded scenes. It was a great balance. Some places did feel thin but over all I loved it. It was a unique story line and one I had never come across yet. The author obviously did a lot of research and it shows in the great details in the story. Her writing brought the comune to life in my mind. This book had characters I loved to hate and those are always the best kind and it had those that make you want to hold them and tell them it will be ok. Then there are those you want to slap silly and say wake up! This is a great book to get lost in. I would recommend it.

The Devil's Daughter was a great suspenseful romance book. I especially loved the setting and seeing as this is the first book in the Hidden Sins series, I hope the next book will focus on the cult as well. The only thing that I didn't like as much was the ending of this book. It had an open ending on the romance front. As a huge lover of HEA, I really enjoy an epilogue. Definitely pick this book up if you love mysterious romantic suspense novels

Holy crap. I was so excited when I found out Katee Robert was going to write a romantic suspense book. I love romantic suspense and I love everything that Katee writes, so I had a feeling it would be a match made in heaven and it was. I could have easily read this in a day if life hadn’t of interfered. I didn’t want to put it down and dreamed about it while I was sleeping. This book is intense and creepy as all get out. I’ve always had this weird thing about cults and this book takes that and multiplied it. I don’t think I’ll ever think or hear about a cult without getting the chills again.

I absolutely loved Eden Collins. She’s a pretty kick butt heroine. She’s been through a lot growing up as the daughter of the local cult leader. The horrors she’s seen gave me the willies. How she could come out the other side and ten years later be as well-adjusted as she was, I don’t know. Of course she’s not perfect and she has issues. It was awesome to see her work through things while helping to deal with the cult and seeing them all again after ten years of being away. Eden really is one of my new favorite leading ladies. She’s just awesome.

Then there’s Zach Owens, the sheriff of Clear Springs. He’s one of those too good to be true heroes that you know can take care of you if you need it, will hold you when you need it, but will also just let you do your thing when that’s what you need to do. He’s absolutely swoonworthy and the perfect match for Eden. I loved watching him break through her walls while also trying to figure out who the killer was.

Now here was my absolute favorite part of this book. I can almost always figure out who the bad guy is in a mystery or suspense novel. I don’t know what that says about me, but it’s true. It’s few and far between that I’m stumped and Katee stumped me with this book. I was blown away by the big reveal. I totally thought I had it all figured out and while I did have some of it, I was not prepared for the truth and I love that.

I cannot recommend this book enough. It’s so incredibly well-written and a perfect blend of romance and suspense. I loved the characters and the creep factor. I cannot wait to read the next book in the Hidden Sins series. 

Arc provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review

No one beats Persephone indefinitely. Not Demeter, not mankind, and sure as hell not Hades. 
That my friends was a goose bump moment.
Eden Collins swore that she would never go back to Clear Springs and the cult Elysia where she grew up with her mother being the cult leader. She against her will has been lured back to a murder where the victim looks similar to her in so many ways. Now a strong, sassy and independent woman she has been working for the FBI specifically the BAU.
Zach Owens former Marine now Sheriff in Clear Springs moved to the small town to get away from the nightmares and enjoy the peace. That is until his deputy finds a dead girl with ritualistic markings on her body. 
Against Eden’s better judgement she gets unofficially involved with the investigation and the more they try and find out about it all the more questions arise. It is a game of cat and mouse with the killer being at least two steps ahead of them.
At the beginning they reluctantly work together, Zach can’t quite trust her yet what with the coincidence of a body turning up and then Eden coming into town.
Martha and her inner circle are well indoctrination, religious zealots the whole shebang. There are ties to the cult but Martha is blocking them at every turn.
The author did a fantastic job of spinning a gripping tale of taking a Greek myth the story of Demeter & Persephone and making it the focal point of the cult. Of the fanatical religious zealot with added mystery, suspenseful and had me on pins & needles with horrifying moments that made me want to stop reading.
But I did continue reading and there were times where it was tough going. But in the end? Certainly worth it. 
I will read the second when it comes out. Please hurry up.

The Devil’s Daughter is the definition of the perfect book for a book hangover! OMG reading The Devil’s Daughter fed my inner Criminal Minds. I’m a huge fan of the show Criminal Minds and while reading Katee Roberts’ new series I was in suspense as to who could the Un-Sub be. Zach is the Sheriff in the small town of Clear Spring and crimes like murder are so uncommon that when young women begin to surface with their corpse violated and marked with tattoos that match that of a suspected cult, he can’t resist the help of an FBI agent who just so happens to be the daughter of the cult leader. Clear Springs is the very last place Eden wants to be but when a crime is committed in connection to her mother and the cult she fled from, she will stop at nothing to find the killer even if that killer maybe her very own mother. The Devil’s Daughter was so wonderfully written because of the intensity between Zach and Eden while they work together in the hopes of solving who is harming these girls and why. They also must try not to be killed in the process. I can easily say that this is 5 stars read because it is full of suspense, questions, chemistry, and heart wrenching moments. Killers, love, steamy scenes, and a cult! What more could I possible want?

The Devil's Daughter is a big step away from the usual Katee Robert fare - and I like it!

This book is a lot darker, grittier than her other books i have read. It is full of suspense, drama, murder and mystery. There were so many twists and turns, that every time I thought I knew what was going to happen next.

BAM. I was wrong.

I did throw out a hail mary guess of who the bad guy was about 75% of the way into the book, and whilst I was right in the who (goodness knows how I got it right!) the when and why was a real surprise.

This book focuses more on the suspense than the romance - but I am ok with that. There was always that undercurrent of attraction between Zach and Eden but I was glad that it was kind of in the background most of the time.

I enjoyed the characters, the story line kept me intrigued,and I really did like the darker feel to this book.

Now I am impatiently waiting to see what Ms Robert brings us next.

Katee Robert is probably best known for her sexy contemporary romances, several of which have been positively reviewed at AAR.  With The Devil’s Daughter, she’s moved into romantic suspense territory, and has done so with a reasonable degree of success, penning a well-paced and gripping tale that kept me eagerly turning the pages.

Sheriff Zach Owens, a former Marine, saw enough killing, bloodshed and violence during his various tours of Iraq to have made him want to leave it behind him and settle down in the relatively quiet Montana backwater of Clear Springs.  The worst he usually has to deal with involve the odd DUI, theft and minor crimes, and sometimes keeping a lid on the suspicion harboured by some of the locals towards Elysia, the large compound outside of town which is home to a religious cult.  Most of the time, the town and the cult manage to co-exist peacefully, but when a local girl goes missing and her ultra-conservative, church-going parents insist that someone from the cult is responsible for her disappearance, Zach has to walk a tight-rope between doing everything he can to find the girl and keeping the simmering resentment of her parents and their supporters from igniting the tensions between Clear Springs and Elysia and provoking a serious incident.

Zach’s fears are confirmed when he receives news that the naked body of a teenager has been found just outside town and he fully expects this to be the missing girl – but it isn’t.  It’s another local girl, one who was believed to have left town to attend college, hence the fact she’d not been missed.  And to make things worse, the girl is linked to Martha Collins, the head of the commune at Elysia, by virtue of the fact that Martha wrote her letters of reference for college.  Zach knows that any direct approach to Martha or her inner circle will be shut down and met with their usual brand of stonewalling, but with a murder directly linked to the group, and suspicions mounting that they have something to do with the other girl’s disappearance, Zach is going to have to tread carefully if he’s to stand any chance of getting answers, finding the missing teenager or solving the murder.

Eden Collins escaped from the commune and her mother’s influence when she was eighteen.  Now an agent working for the Behavioural Analysis Unit at the FBI, she’d never thought to return to Clear Springs, wanting to remain as far from there as possible, but when she’s anonymously sent a picture of the murdered girl, which clearly show tattoos identical to the ones Eden has, she knows she has to go back.  Zach is initially suspicious of her presence and her motives. As Martha Collins’ daughter, Eden is not the most popular new face in town, and even Eden can understand why Zach feels the way he does. But she insists he needs all the help he can get in order to find the missing girl before she becomes the killer’s next victim.

The small-town setting of this story is used to great effect in creating an atmosphere of oppression and insularity which helps to build a sense of menace in the mind of the reader.  Another thing the author does very well is to show just how deeply affected Eden was and continues to be by her upbringing and life as the daughter of a clever, manipulative and ruthless woman.   Eden has been out of Elysia for a decade; she’s an intelligent, independent, capable woman who is obviously good at her job, and yet coming back to Clear Springs almost threatens wipe out those ten years.  She knows how controlling and devious Martha is, and knows she has to keep her wits about her if she’s not going to get sucked back in; and Ms. Roberts communicates Eden’s complicated feelings  about Martha and Elysia with insight and skill.

The suspense plot is well-executed and especially unsettling on the few occasions the story is told from the PoV of the murdered girls.  I had my suspicions as to the identity of the villain, but it wasn’t too obvious, and overall I was satisfied with the way that storyline played out.

I can’t say the same of the romantic aspect of the book, however, which comes as a surprise given Ms. Robert is known as a romance writer.  Zach and Eden are a good fit; intelligent, competent people who are dedicated to their jobs and who are both carrying around a bit of emotional baggage.  But the romance isn’t really given enough time to develop, and as a result, it feels as though it has just been tacked on.  Their first kiss, for example, comes out of the blue when their relationship really only consists of suspicion and work-related disagreements.   In this context, sniping at each other doesn’t work as verbal foreplay, and there isn’t much chemistry between them.  The book ends with an HFN rather than an HEA for Zach and Eden, with both of them agreeing to pursue a relationship while continuing with their jobs and lives in different places

The Devil’s Daughter is billed as being the first book in the Hidden Sins series, and I’m certainly not averse to reading more, but I’m hoping that Ms. Robert will be able to achieve more of a balance between the romance and the mystery in the next book.

I went into this excited for a romantic thriller. I was a little disappointed when the romance took a back seat. This book was entirely filled with the suspense. Which wasn't bad, just was too detailed, and then the romance was thrown in, but with no real  passion. I know this author writes great romance, but in this case it didn't belong. There was no chemistry, and it made no sense. It took me a long time to get through this book. I was interested in how it ended, so I kept with it.  The ending was strange, and overall this book just wasn't for me.

I would like to thank Katee Robert, Montlake and Netgalley for giving me this book for my honest review.
Review by Stephanie
5 Stars
I am a big fan of Katee Robert’s books so I was like “this does not look like Katee’s usual book but I love her so I am going to give it a try” SO GLAD I DID! This book was a huge leap from her norm but she did amazing! And don’t get me wrong the book did give a little romantic aspect to this amazing thriller.
Eden grew up in a cult her mother formed, but when she turned 18 she ran and never looked back. Now she is 28 years old and an FBI agent and has a rock hard wall built around her to keep from getting hurt again.  Then there is Zach, the local sheriff of the small town Eden ran away from. But she will need to return because a teenager girl was murdered and the cult might be involved….the cult she so desperately ran away from 10 years ago. 

This book was AMAZING! I was unable to put it down and the who done it surprised me! I cannot wait to read more of this series! It hands down has it all…..a little scary (we are dealing with a cult here) , a lot of mystery and suspense and a splash of romance. I want the next book!!

It surprises me to be sending this particular note, but I won't be able to review this title because I can't get through it.  Historically, I have loved Katee Robert's books, but this one just isn't for me.  Though I won't be reviewing the book, I will be spotlighting it on my blog, RoloPoloBookBlog on Monday, January 23, 2017 as a part of the Barclay Publicity tour.