A review by melinya
Ménage with the Devil by Jenni Simonis

Did not finish book. Stopped at 45%.

My main issue with this book is the age of the FMC, Ana. At 18 (or “almost 19,” as it’s frequently pointed out), her youth made the dynamic with Anthony uncomfortable—especially since they married and were expected to consummate the same day she was taken from her family. The fated mate plotline wasn’t enough to justify how little understanding Ana seemed to have about consent, and it began to feel less romantic and more like grooming. The repeated insistence that Anthony "stopped looking" when he found out she was 14 the first time he met her didn’t help, and so the “perv” joke fell flat for me.

Even though Ana was technically of age, the speed at which everything unfolded—being taken away from her family, drugged, isolated, pressured into marriage, then asked to sleep with a stranger—all in one day, felt like too much. I’ve seen dark romance tackle similar premises with more sensitivity and care. This one missed the mark for me.

I pushed through to 45% because I was curious how Cesare would be introduced, and I did enjoy his character. But overall, the pacing felt uneven and the dialogue stilted, with only Cesare’s lines reading naturally. The rest of the interactions felt disjointed, especially the back-and-forth between Ana and Anthony, which came off as immature.

The plot around the external threat to Ana didn’t feel urgent or well-developed, and I found myself disengaging quickly. I was especially frustrated by the birth control argument—it was disappointing to see Ana give in so easily (even if it was after Cesare explaining Anthony's reasoning to her) when she had initially stood her ground.

While I usually enjoy poly dynamics in romance, this story didn’t work for me. I may revisit it later out of curiosity about Cesare, but my discomfort with the setup overshadows any interest in how the story unfolds.