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lyratorg's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good. A little repetitive in some ways (certain actions) but still enjoyable.
pammie823's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jordannahst's review against another edition
4.0
Another enjoyable story! One thing I’m learning about Lorraine Heath is that she doesn’t shy away from dark subject matters. Jack’s backstory was maybe a little too disturbing for me and I’m glad he got his happy ending with Livy.
cakt1991's review against another edition
5.0
Between the Devil and Desire is yet another top-tier Lorraine Heath book, and I can understand why other readers consider this series her best. Following very closely, timeline wise, after its predecessor, it’s chock-full of more intrigue, angst, and swoony, sexy romance. And while the romance can stand on its own, there are some spoilers for non-romance related elements of the first book.
Jack was an absolute delight in the first book, and continues to be so in this one. He’s very much a rogue, but he’s quite a nuanced one. He has a devil-may-care attitude, a trait he developed as a result of the trauma he experienced early in his life, and I would like to warn readers new to the series that his past includes references and discussions (but no graphic depictions) of child sexual abuse. His complex bond with Luke, hero of the last book, is also explored further, particularly in relation to his role in the previously mentioned plot twist and its ramifications on their relationship. But in spite of all he experienced, or perhaps because of it, he also cares deeply for those he loves, especially his fellow Scoundrels, and while he initially dithers about taking on the role of guardian to Henry, the new Duke of Lovingdon, especially as he was unsettled by the previous Duke’s motivations, he becomes close to him as well.
Olivia is also quite interesting. A foil for Jack, she’s very proper and buttoned-up. My interest was piqued when I learned early in the book she was sister to the Duke of Avendale, a supporting character from the prior book, particularly as her perspective presented insight into his behavior that mirrored those which played a role in the previous book’s plot. But I was also intrigued by the complex nature of her prior marriage, with the late Duke of Lovingdon keeping more secrets close to his chest than she knew.
The romance started on a delightful front, much funnier than I’m used to from Heath. Jack and Olivia engage in witty banter as they argue over the ins and outs of how Henry will be raised, not to mention disagreements over the distribution of the late Duke’s estate in Jack’s favor. Things gradually take a dark turn, with family secrets coming to light, and them fighting their desire for one another despite the taboo nature of their relationship. I loved how they pushed each other’s buttons and wound each other up, while also waiting with bated breath for their illicit kisses, and more.
Heath really brought the drama with this one, including a messy family tree that feels like it’s out of a soap opera. I had an inkling as to what Lovingdon’s connection might be, but even with all the foreshadowing, it caught me off guard just as much as it did for both Jack and Olivia. The final twist in particular blew me away, because I was so certain I had to be wrong, because “no way Lorraine would do this,” and she did?!
This book was perhaps even better than the last, and I’d recommend it to readers looking for a dramatic, angsty historical romance.
mvbookreviewer's review against another edition
4.0
Having finished In Bed with the Devil, the first book in the Scoundrels of St. James series by Lorraine Heath, I was intrigued enough to begin the second title, Between the Devil and Desire. This is the story of none other than Jack Dodger, the infamous best friend of Lucian (Luke), who entices readers on so many levels even as a secondary character.
Jack is a man who has long accepted the fact that he would do anything to get his next coin, to ensure that he would always remain in a place where no one else could have power over him. Jack had been five years old when he had been sold by his mother, something that his young and older self “understands”, because Jack believes that hunger could drive any human to do even the most despicable of things.
Falling in with a notorious den of thieves, Jack had quickly mastered the art of thievery, learnt that practically anything could be stolen, if proper preparations are done in advance. Even though Jack believes himself to be someone who couldn’t care less about another person, meeting Luke, the role Jack plays in Luke’s fate, and how their lives become entwined, places Jack in the role of playing the responsible “adult”.
At the age of nineteen, Jack had come into a lump sum of money through an anonymous benefactor. Jack hadn’t looked twice and asked no questions. He had turned that into his fortune by building and opening his exclusive gentleman’s club. Rich, independent, and revered and disliked in equal doses by polite society, Jack couldn’t care less about any of it, that is until he is summoned to the reading of the Duke of Lovington’s will by the late Duke’s solicitor.
Olivia Stanford, the Duchess of Lovington, is someone who has always been about duty. Which is why she had married someone 25 years older than her, because her father had arranged the marriage, and that is what respectable women do. Even though Olivia hides a deeply passionate nature inside, she is the modicum of propriety itself, leaving many to believe that Olivia is as cold and haughty as aristocrats come.
When Olivia’s late husband appoints none other than Jack as the guardian and protector of his heir until the child reaches of age or Olivia marries another, that is when true horror dawns on Olivia, leading her to take drastic steps to “save” her son from the clutches of a man who could turn the most respectable of society into the most depraved.
Jack is lured by the promise of a final item that the late Duke dangles in front of him, its value immeasurable according to the solicitor, who remains tight-lipped about what it could be. Even though from the onset, Jack knows that Olivia seethes with anger at the mere thought of sharing anything with him, and even though Jack knows he can charm Olivia if he sets his mind to it, he cannot help himself but irritate Olivia given the chance, all because he likes igniting the slow burning fires deep inside of Olivia which she hides from the rest of the world.
While the Duke’s reasons for leaving Jack as the guardian of his son remains a mystery, and Jack certainly does not like things he cannot add up together, all of that is revealed through the various events that lead up to the culmination of this story. Even though Olivia would rather die than depend on the likes of Jack, as these two are “forced” to spend time together, both of them find in each other aspects of their characters that they are drawn towards. The explosive secrets that come to light towards the end was one of the best parts of the story.
I liked the story. I truly did. Jack was after all, nothing short of fabulous, everything I desired him to be, vulnerable from past atrocities inflicted upon him at a most tender age. His uncaring attitude as most would see it, an image he cultivates with calculated effort, makes him the person every woman would like to blame their husband’s less than savory need to visit his establishment upon.
I had bit of a harder time liking Olivia. Not that she was any less as a character in the story as it unfolded. But because there was a time or two towards the latter part of the story where she was still in doubt over Jack and his intentions. Olivia was also a trifle bit tiresome at the beginning, with her deep distrust of Jack (which was also understandable to a certain level), her inability to really commit to her feelings towards Jack – which at a certain point she finally did make up her mind and did get going.
I also felt that given all the build up of sexual tension between Jack and Olivia, the culmination of it all was just a bit anti-climactic. The way I see it, there is a deep wealth of passion hidden inside of Jack’s projected attitude. Fires banked over what he considers would make him more vulnerable by exposing own needs and weaknesses. I wanted that passion to tumble free, for it to take a hold of both himself and Olivia, who herself dreams of being possessed and dominated by someone as virile and undoubtedly decadent as Jack. Aside from the scene in the garden, which was pretty explosive, the rest of the scenes of passion seemed pretty mundane in comparison.
However, I enjoyed the overall story, the villain and his role in Jack’s life, meeting Feagan who had shaped the lives of the main protagonists in the series, and the way Olivia finally accepted the true worth of the man who loves her without hesitation or condition.
Final Verdict: Jack’s smoldering passion meets the reserved and unstoked fires hidden beneath all the propriety that is Olivia. Enjoyed this succulent delight in many ways.
Rating = 4/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit www.maldivianbookreviewer.com
Jack is a man who has long accepted the fact that he would do anything to get his next coin, to ensure that he would always remain in a place where no one else could have power over him. Jack had been five years old when he had been sold by his mother, something that his young and older self “understands”, because Jack believes that hunger could drive any human to do even the most despicable of things.
Falling in with a notorious den of thieves, Jack had quickly mastered the art of thievery, learnt that practically anything could be stolen, if proper preparations are done in advance. Even though Jack believes himself to be someone who couldn’t care less about another person, meeting Luke, the role Jack plays in Luke’s fate, and how their lives become entwined, places Jack in the role of playing the responsible “adult”.
At the age of nineteen, Jack had come into a lump sum of money through an anonymous benefactor. Jack hadn’t looked twice and asked no questions. He had turned that into his fortune by building and opening his exclusive gentleman’s club. Rich, independent, and revered and disliked in equal doses by polite society, Jack couldn’t care less about any of it, that is until he is summoned to the reading of the Duke of Lovington’s will by the late Duke’s solicitor.
Olivia Stanford, the Duchess of Lovington, is someone who has always been about duty. Which is why she had married someone 25 years older than her, because her father had arranged the marriage, and that is what respectable women do. Even though Olivia hides a deeply passionate nature inside, she is the modicum of propriety itself, leaving many to believe that Olivia is as cold and haughty as aristocrats come.
When Olivia’s late husband appoints none other than Jack as the guardian and protector of his heir until the child reaches of age or Olivia marries another, that is when true horror dawns on Olivia, leading her to take drastic steps to “save” her son from the clutches of a man who could turn the most respectable of society into the most depraved.
Jack is lured by the promise of a final item that the late Duke dangles in front of him, its value immeasurable according to the solicitor, who remains tight-lipped about what it could be. Even though from the onset, Jack knows that Olivia seethes with anger at the mere thought of sharing anything with him, and even though Jack knows he can charm Olivia if he sets his mind to it, he cannot help himself but irritate Olivia given the chance, all because he likes igniting the slow burning fires deep inside of Olivia which she hides from the rest of the world.
While the Duke’s reasons for leaving Jack as the guardian of his son remains a mystery, and Jack certainly does not like things he cannot add up together, all of that is revealed through the various events that lead up to the culmination of this story. Even though Olivia would rather die than depend on the likes of Jack, as these two are “forced” to spend time together, both of them find in each other aspects of their characters that they are drawn towards. The explosive secrets that come to light towards the end was one of the best parts of the story.
I liked the story. I truly did. Jack was after all, nothing short of fabulous, everything I desired him to be, vulnerable from past atrocities inflicted upon him at a most tender age. His uncaring attitude as most would see it, an image he cultivates with calculated effort, makes him the person every woman would like to blame their husband’s less than savory need to visit his establishment upon.
I had bit of a harder time liking Olivia. Not that she was any less as a character in the story as it unfolded. But because there was a time or two towards the latter part of the story where she was still in doubt over Jack and his intentions. Olivia was also a trifle bit tiresome at the beginning, with her deep distrust of Jack (which was also understandable to a certain level), her inability to really commit to her feelings towards Jack – which at a certain point she finally did make up her mind and did get going.
I also felt that given all the build up of sexual tension between Jack and Olivia, the culmination of it all was just a bit anti-climactic. The way I see it, there is a deep wealth of passion hidden inside of Jack’s projected attitude. Fires banked over what he considers would make him more vulnerable by exposing own needs and weaknesses. I wanted that passion to tumble free, for it to take a hold of both himself and Olivia, who herself dreams of being possessed and dominated by someone as virile and undoubtedly decadent as Jack. Aside from the scene in the garden, which was pretty explosive, the rest of the scenes of passion seemed pretty mundane in comparison.
However, I enjoyed the overall story, the villain and his role in Jack’s life, meeting Feagan who had shaped the lives of the main protagonists in the series, and the way Olivia finally accepted the true worth of the man who loves her without hesitation or condition.
Final Verdict: Jack’s smoldering passion meets the reserved and unstoked fires hidden beneath all the propriety that is Olivia. Enjoyed this succulent delight in many ways.
Rating = 4/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit www.maldivianbookreviewer.com
upturnedroots's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
5.0
A very dark read, so tread carefully, but what a wild ride of a tale.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
lyssaczernek's review against another edition
4.75
4.75 stars - I adored the relationship here. Peak enemies to lovers! I thought the relationship development was phenomenal and kept me engaged the entire time. I loved Jack’s insistence on corrupting Olivia and I loved Olivia’s continued chastising of Jack.
However, I’m going to pretend the book ended about 15-20 pages earlier. That shit was whack and I did not enjoy it at all. I would have given the novel 5 glowing stars if it weren’t for that ending.
However, I’m going to pretend the book ended about 15-20 pages earlier. That shit was whack and I did not enjoy it at all. I would have given the novel 5 glowing stars if it weren’t for that ending.
emrlane's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0