Wednesday 3 November 2010

Review: Devil's Desire - Laurie McBain

Genre: Historical romance
Pages:
Published: November 2010 Sourcebooks Casablanca

In a rousing, unforgettable saga that sweeps across the valleys and peaks of human destiny, the stormy alliance of beautiful young Lady Elysia Demarice and Lord Alex Trevegne plumbs the depths of raw human emotion -- lust, jealousy and hate -- for though Lord Alex has married Elysia, he cannot possess her in flesh or spirit. Out of the turbulence of their clashing wills comes one of the greatest love stories ever written, as their twin passions mingle at last, in a rippling tide of liquid fire!

Plot:
Elysia is an orphan and is staying with her horrible aunt who treats her like dirt. Trying to get away she is caught in a marriage of convenience, with Lord Alex Trevegne, a man called the Devil. She takes her away to his castle, and they clash at every turn. 

My thoughts:
I am going to be brutally honest, I hated the hero. I mean I love a good tortured hero, but Alex, was an ass. He was cruel, angry, hot tempered, mean, hated him. He wants her, he plays games with her to get her to succumb to his will, he is jealous, and ok I can't seem to have anything nice to say about him. Except that he is good to his servants and horses.

Elysia was sweet, and she didn't let him put her down, her tongue was poisonous, and I liked her. The Devil got what he deserved from her. Their love affair, suddenly she knew she loved him..why? And even when he expressed his love, I didn't know what to feel. Also the first them they had sex, I was not approving of it. Even lost in passion, the way he brought it forward didn't suit me. I fear it might come from the book being published in the 70s. Like that was how men should be then.

I am not hating the book, no it was actually ok, I enjoyed it even when hating her aunt, him, and his evil ex mistress. Then there was action because of a smuggler ring, and that brought the tempo up. And I still wanted to see if these two could get a HEA, cos honestly it seemed impossible, and I would just have left if I was her. He was never physically enforced his will or anything, no no, then I would thrown the book at the wall. I just wished he could have been nicer, but the thing was, he just needed a wife, he didn't need to love her.

Final thoughts and recommendation:
No here it's where it get tricky, if you have read something else by her then you will surely enjoy this one. But I feel there are more romantic books out there. I will give it a 2,5 because, it was ok, and I would like to see if she has a hero that is a bit less of a Devil. I liked the book, I just didn't like him.

Cover: ok.

review copy from Sourcebooks

22 comments:

  1. If the hero is no good that would put me off.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hard to like a hero like that one. Nice review!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Now that is one hero who got a rise out of you!! He sounds a bit like a bully, I can deal with angry and hot tempered in a hero but cruel and mean not so :(

    ReplyDelete
  4. O.K., I'll skip this book...mean guy's can't be hero's in my book!

    I think a lot of women in "real" life have to deal with guys like this....but who wants a romance book that mirror real life (Thank the GODS NOT in mine - I got me a gem of a Hero in my real life) But for me a romance book is for escape...to draw the best of what a man is out and play on that.

    Hugs
    Hawk

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hmm... don't think I'd like this one. I like my heros... well... heroic. :-/ Great review.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nice review. I have to love the hero though.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Vivienne
    it did just that, he was just too mean for me.

    Mandi
    I certainly failed liking him :(

    Leontine
    *Nods* he was such a mean bully. I mean I like those tortured heroes, but to a certain degree, and I never got why he was so tormented either. Didn't have a good enough reason to be

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hawk
    He would have been better as the villain who wants the heroine. It reminded me of that Sandra Brown book I read, where the hero was mean too, what was up with mean heroes back then?

    Melissa
    Me too :) Heroic, brave and sweet too

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for the honest review! I just received Moonstruck Madness by this author, and I was wondering if the hero would be like this b/c it was written in the time where this kind of hero was popular. I hope I like Moonstruck Madness...

    ReplyDelete
  10. The hero sounds awful, but I am a sucker for an orphan storyline in historicals. I might have to give this one a chance, if only to see if I dislike the hero as much as you did.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I do love historical romances but it looks like I should look for something else by this author first!

    ReplyDelete
  12. 2.5? I will probably pass on this one. Especially if the hero is an ass...I know enough men like that IRL!! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I will definitely skip it. The male lead might be a Devil but an ass? I've had enough of them in real life, thank you very much.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Fv
    So true, so true

    Carrie
    I got it too, but since I did find the story ok I have my hopes up, just as long the hero is a bit nicer

    Bucky
    That storyline did work for me, and you should read it just to see how evil her aunt is! She is pure madness

    ReplyDelete
  15. Amused
    That is if you do not have a real ache for a truly truly tortured hero ;)

    Staci
    I just wanted to give him a smack over the head, and that poor girl, she just needed someone to love her.

    Ana
    A devil I can take, but yes sadly he was an ass too, and it took a really long time for him to change

    ReplyDelete
  16. I can't imagine enjoying a romance novel where I disliked the hero. I recently read a book like this as well, where I disliked the male character so much that I couldn't finish the book.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Shoot! The premise sounded awesome...I'm sorry to hear it didn't live up. Hating the hero always makes a book a lot harder to read. Excellent honest review though! :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Simcha
    Ouch, bad! I have read books like that, but then it's mostly cos of the heroine

    Melissa
    Had to tell it like I saw it, too bad cos the story was good, but he was just too mean for me

    ReplyDelete
  19. "He was an ass"
    lol I LOVE it! I am so glad I didn't read this one, becuase I would have put it down for sure. Thanks for the great review and laughter I needed this afternoon.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Jenny
    Lol, you know my door is always open when you need to laugh :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hmmmm...I need my heroes to be strong, or else I won't enjoy the book.
    Thanks for the honest review.
    http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  22. Naida
    Well he was strong, just wrong

    ReplyDelete

Contributors

Copyright © 2008-2020 Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell All Rights Reserved. Proudly powered by Blogger

  © Blogger template Starry by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008 Modified by Lea

Back to TOP