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thiasaur's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
1/3 of the book was so good then it went to shit☠️ what was that ending? I knew it was coming, but it was so abrupt like wtf. Liked Kate but man I really hoped the Baron would die at the end lol
lala8's review
3.0
What did I just read... I did enjoy this book, though I almost DNF because I was getting a bit bored after the 80% mark, but that ending... WTF!!!
I do think the MCs relationship lacked some depth. I didn't understand how Rollo came to be obsessed with Kate, their interactions were a bit dry... Regardless it's a well written book.
I do think the MCs relationship lacked some depth. I didn't understand how Rollo came to be obsessed with Kate, their interactions were a bit dry... Regardless it's a well written book.
murfy14's review
I don’t like to read romances where there is non consensual sexual activity. Really ruined a story with tons of potential
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
sammy234's review
5.0
4.5 stars.
I loved everything about this book except for the rather abrupt ending, which left me kind of dissatisfied. The romance between Rollo and Kate was very angsty, and I could have used another twenty pages or so where they were happily together after their relationship resolved itself. All I got was, "He was there and I threw myself into his arms." Not enough for me. I wanted more.
However, the dark and shocking turn the story took in the last ten pages was still very fantastic and reminded me a lot of a Daphne du Maurier novel. I hope this isn't Victoria Holt's only bodice ripper, because she writes them very well. I remember not being too entertained by The India Fan, the only other book I've read by this author, but The Demon Lover makes me want to read more of her work.
I, much like the heroine Kate, originally was not a big fan of the hero, Rollo, but by the end of the novel I'd fallen completely in love with him. The way they both interacted gave me Jane Eyre vibes and I was so invested. When Rollo comes back to Paris during the war... sigh. It was so romantic.
TW: Non-con but it's not explicit at all
I loved everything about this book except for the rather abrupt ending, which left me kind of dissatisfied. The romance between Rollo and Kate was very angsty, and I could have used another twenty pages or so where they were happily together after their relationship resolved itself. All I got was, "He was there and I threw myself into his arms." Not enough for me. I wanted more.
However, the dark and shocking turn the story took in the last ten pages was still very fantastic and reminded me a lot of a Daphne du Maurier novel. I hope this isn't Victoria Holt's only bodice ripper, because she writes them very well. I remember not being too entertained by The India Fan, the only other book I've read by this author, but The Demon Lover makes me want to read more of her work.
I, much like the heroine Kate, originally was not a big fan of the hero, Rollo, but by the end of the novel I'd fallen completely in love with him. The way they both interacted gave me Jane Eyre vibes and I was so invested. When Rollo comes back to Paris during the war... sigh. It was so romantic.
TW: Non-con but it's not explicit at all
deathnote's review
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder
Minor: Suicide and Stalking
crystalisreading's review
1.0
I don't remember the plot very clearly, other than that the main character was an artist, and that the "hero" of the piece kidnapped her and raped her repeatedly over a period of several days to keep her from marrying someone else, so he could have her as his mistress. it's hard to find that romantic. Even back in my gothic romance heyday, I found it troublesome. Now I doubt I could read the book again. very irresponsible and unappealing writing. it negated what was enjoyable about Victoria Holt's writing style in this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent
bludrdbttrfly's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
anniesangal's review
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
katiev's review
4.0
Eta: I had to go from 3 to 4 stars because I've found myself rereading parts of this and it has really made an impression. Still full of rage inducing wtf'ery and not exactly romance.
The writing was good/engaging and I liked the heroine, but I never really bought that the Baron wanted her / loved her. I was really torn on the rating, because it did keep me reading and I loved the heroine.
*****************************spoilers*********************************
Kate was engaged to the Baron's cousin, but the Baron had wanted the cousin to marry his ex-mistress instead. When the cousin tells the Baron he doesn't want his castoff, that's when he decides to abduct and rape Kate - that way his naughty, defiant cousin will not be defying him after all, as Kate will then be one of his castoffs as well.
After he holds her captive for 3 days in his castle and rapes/forcibly seduces her repeatedly, he just lets her go. No goodbye, no f* you very much, nada! He not only lets her go, but he demands that his cousin go ahead and marry her as well. Apparently, he doesn't care if another man has her. I prefer my bodice ripper H's to be far more possessive than that.
Unfortunately for the Baron, the rape drives a wedge between Kate and his cousin and they never marry, so his petty revenge fails.
Of course, Kate turns up pregnant and she's terrified about what to do with morals/times being as they are. Unbeknownst to her, the Baron sends his ex-mistress to befriend her and take her into her home in Paris (which he owns and pays all the bills for).
So, granted, he does take care of her, but I wasn't impressed. I think it was sort of a code of honor with these men to make a good settlement on an ex-mistress (which is what he considered her) and pay for the upkeep of their bastards when they are done with their mothers. He was basically doing the same thing for Nicole(the ex-mistress he sent to befriend Kate).
IMHO, if he'd truly given a crap, he wouldn't have disappeared for 5 years. Granted, if he had stayed away because of guilt and a desire to do what was best for the h, I'd have been able to deal with that. The sort of thing where he pines away for her and sneaks around trying to catch a glimpse of her now and then, but I have no indication he did that. And guilt was not in this man's vocabulary, so he does not stay away to spare her his presence.
Nope, dude just secretly paid all the bills and then out of the blue decides to appear 5 yrs later for reasons I am yet to understand. He first befriends the little boy when he goes to the park with his nanny and never even sees Kate until she happens to come to the park one day herself. Then he's all, "I think about you all the time, my life is miserable, I hate my wife.... blah, blah, blah. Our time together was so wonderful. I want you and my son."
Kate is terrified, but tells him in her own polite English way to go f himself and makes sure the boy only goes to the park when the Baron won't be around. Again, he doesn't come after her. No OTT stalker behavior and again, I refuse to believe it was for honorable reasons.
Soon after, the Franco-Prussian war comes along and Paris is about to be placed under siege. The Baron comes to Paris to take Kate, Nicole, his son, and the nanny back to his rural castle - a place that the very idea of traumatizes Kate. She refuses and he just shrugs (literally) and leaves. This guy is not above abduction and this time there's an actual reason for it (Nicole ends up dying in the siege after Kate refuses to leave) but this time he just shrugs.
He does turn up a few weeks later to take them out of Paris and is more forceful about it, so that gave him a point or two, I suppose.
The thing is, I never bought his undying love for her due to the 5 FRICKING YEAR thing. I think he was more interested in the boy (since the one he had with his wife was not actually his). He does claim that Kate is the most important to him and that even without the child he'd want her and he loves her more than anything, but again I wasn't impressed. He expects her become his mistress and he will legitimize the child. Kate refuses. But they do end up together in the end when the wife dies. Unfortunately we don't get to see them actually together, which was something I needed to believe in their HEA.
The writing was good/engaging and I liked the heroine, but I never really bought that the Baron wanted her / loved her. I was really torn on the rating, because it did keep me reading and I loved the heroine.
*****************************spoilers*********************************
Kate was engaged to the Baron's cousin, but the Baron had wanted the cousin to marry his ex-mistress instead. When the cousin tells the Baron he doesn't want his castoff, that's when he decides to abduct and rape Kate - that way his naughty, defiant cousin will not be defying him after all, as Kate will then be one of his castoffs as well.
After he holds her captive for 3 days in his castle and rapes/forcibly seduces her repeatedly, he just lets her go. No goodbye, no f* you very much, nada! He not only lets her go, but he demands that his cousin go ahead and marry her as well. Apparently, he doesn't care if another man has her. I prefer my bodice ripper H's to be far more possessive than that.
Unfortunately for the Baron, the rape drives a wedge between Kate and his cousin and they never marry, so his petty revenge fails.
Of course, Kate turns up pregnant and she's terrified about what to do with morals/times being as they are. Unbeknownst to her, the Baron sends his ex-mistress to befriend her and take her into her home in Paris (which he owns and pays all the bills for).
So, granted, he does take care of her, but I wasn't impressed. I think it was sort of a code of honor with these men to make a good settlement on an ex-mistress (which is what he considered her) and pay for the upkeep of their bastards when they are done with their mothers. He was basically doing the same thing for Nicole(the ex-mistress he sent to befriend Kate).
IMHO, if he'd truly given a crap, he wouldn't have disappeared for 5 years. Granted, if he had stayed away because of guilt and a desire to do what was best for the h, I'd have been able to deal with that. The sort of thing where he pines away for her and sneaks around trying to catch a glimpse of her now and then, but I have no indication he did that. And guilt was not in this man's vocabulary, so he does not stay away to spare her his presence.
Nope, dude just secretly paid all the bills and then out of the blue decides to appear 5 yrs later for reasons I am yet to understand. He first befriends the little boy when he goes to the park with his nanny and never even sees Kate until she happens to come to the park one day herself. Then he's all, "I think about you all the time, my life is miserable, I hate my wife.... blah, blah, blah. Our time together was so wonderful. I want you and my son."
Kate is terrified, but tells him in her own polite English way to go f himself and makes sure the boy only goes to the park when the Baron won't be around. Again, he doesn't come after her. No OTT stalker behavior and again, I refuse to believe it was for honorable reasons.
Soon after, the Franco-Prussian war comes along and Paris is about to be placed under siege. The Baron comes to Paris to take Kate, Nicole, his son, and the nanny back to his rural castle - a place that the very idea of traumatizes Kate. She refuses and he just shrugs (literally) and leaves. This guy is not above abduction and this time there's an actual reason for it (Nicole ends up dying in the siege after Kate refuses to leave) but this time he just shrugs.
He does turn up a few weeks later to take them out of Paris and is more forceful about it, so that gave him a point or two, I suppose.
The thing is, I never bought his undying love for her due to the 5 FRICKING YEAR thing. I think he was more interested in the boy (since the one he had with his wife was not actually his). He does claim that Kate is the most important to him and that even without the child he'd want her and he loves her more than anything, but again I wasn't impressed. He expects her become his mistress and he will legitimize the child. Kate refuses. But they do end up together in the end when the wife dies. Unfortunately we don't get to see them actually together, which was something I needed to believe in their HEA.
raehink's review
3.0
Kate Collison takes over the commissions of her father when his sight fails...he's a famed miniaturist portrait painter. She goes to the home of Baron de Centeville, a worldly despot and ruthless womanizer who seduces her. A number of people are violently disposed of before all is resolved.
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