Publication Date: 01272015
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: HQN Books
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: 368
ISBN-10: 0373778902
ISBN-13: 978-0373778904
(Received for an honest review from HQN Books)
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound
Julia London on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads
Books in the series:
Cabot Sisters
1. The Trouble With Honor
2. The Devil Takes a Bride (aka. The Fall of Grace)
Coverart: Click on the image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.
Excerpt from The Devil Takes a Bride, courtesy of the author's website.
Synopsis:
Publishers Weekly calls the Cabot Sisters the free-spirited, well-intentioned and irrepressibly exuberant bad girls of high society!
A plan born of desperation…
Once the toast of society, Grace Cabot and her sisters now await the shame of losing high status and fine luxuries upon the death of the Earl of Beckington. The dire circumstances are inevitable unless, of course, Grace's wicked plot to seduce a wealthy viscount into marriage goes off without a single hitch. But once a stolen embrace with the wrong man leads her to be discovered in the arms of Jeffrey, the Earl of Merryton, her plan takes a most unexpected—and scorching—twist.
…and altered by passion
Governed by routine and ruled by duty, Jeffrey had no desire for a wife before he succumbed to Grace's temptation. Though his golden-haired, in-name-only bride is the definition of disorder, he can't resist wanting her in every way. But once her secrets meet his, society might consider their lives to be ruined beyond repair…while Jeffrey might just see it as a new beginning.
Thoughts:
Julia London continues the story of the Cabot Sisters in her latest book, The Devil Takes a Bride. London gives readers a different take on Regency, England in this historical romance with a hero that is anything but typical. When the stepfather of the Cabot sisters suddenly dies and their mother isn't quite right, Grace takes matters into her own hands, and what follows is a remarkable story about finding the right person in an unexpected way. Bravo, to London for giving us something refreshing and different from the ton!
This is first of all a great series, by a seasoned historical romance writer. London is one of my favorites in the genre for a lot of reasons. She has a certain style that pervades all of her books. It is obvious that she wants to give her readers novels that are intensely romantic, yet not the same old story. She goes for creative characters that don't always fit the norms. She puts her characters in circumstances that are unexpected and in so doing, gives readers a new take on a classic period. Always well written and full of surprises, her books are some of my all time favorites.
The Cabot Sisters series centers around four sisters that are used to having their way around the ton. They had wealth, beauty and the attention of almost everyone. And then the unthinkable happens. Their stepfather dies and their mother has a terrible accident leaving her with increasing dementia. It's up to Grace to figure out what to do. Dementia was one of those scary mental disorders that ended up with people in asylums and that sort of thing back in the day. I thought London did a wonderful job of showing the strain something like this would put on a family and how they would go about dealing with it. It's a subject you don't often see in Regency romance and I found it intriguing.
Grace decides that she must wed quickly before anyone realizes her mothers condition and before they realize that the Cabot's have lost nearly every penny to their name. She decides to set up a situation that will get her caught in a compromising position with Lord Amherst. But what she doesn't count on is his very shy and rigid brother showing up in the dark instead. The Earl of Merryton isn't your typical Regency hero. He stays strictly out of society, he is very succinct and somewhat OCD. He has some eccentricities that stem from harsh treatment from his father. Let's just say he some very 'singular tastes' when it comes to everything from eating breakfast to his sexual fantasies.
What an amazing character. I loved Grace, her beauty, her style and the way she was so kind and generous with her affections. She was the perfect match for Jeffrey in every way. But Jeffrey stole the show entirely. He was so different. Mind you he had his issues. He had a mild anxiety disorder, a bit of OCD, and a sexual issue. He had some wicked fantasy's to say the least. But he was a very well created character and the way that London deals with his problems is genius. I liked everything about him. To say that flawed heroes are my favorites is probably and understatement.
I'm not always a fan of the marriage happening in the beginning or middle of the novel. But in this one it was necessary to make the overall story work out. Grace is willing to sacrifice her reputation for her family and I thought that was very noble and Jeffrey ends up in the situation because he is trying to protect his brother. It was nice to see that both characters had a heart for family and I knew they would eventually work out wonderfully together.
Bottom Line:
This was a great novel and a great addition to the series. It may not suit all Regency readers because the characters don't conform to the norms of society, but that was the main thing I liked about it. Jeffrey was intense and refreshing and Grace the perfect compliment to him. I think London did a great job with this addition to the Cabot Sisters series and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
About the Author:
1 comment:
I think I need to catch up with the Cabot sisters.
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