Reviews

In Bed with the Devil, by Lorraine Heath

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xeniapavlidou1991's review against another edition

5.0

❤️ Λούσιαν Λάνγκτον (Λουκ) / Κόμης του Κλέιμπουρν & Κάθριν Μέιμπρι ❤️

✨ ΑΠΑΤΕΩΝΕΣ ΑΡΙΣΤΟΚΡΑΤΕΣ ✨
Βιβλίο 1: [b:Συμφωνία με τον Διάβολο|43422572|Συμφωνία με τον Διάβολο (Απατεώνες Αριστοκράτες)|Lorraine Heath|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1560312947l/43422572._SX50_.jpg|2659280]
Βιβλίο 2: [b:Παιχνίδι με τη φωτιά|43800511|Παιχνίδι με τη φωτιά (Απατεώνες Αριστοκράτες #2)|Lorraine Heath|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1548973628l/43800511._SX50_.jpg|4903440]
Βιβλίο 3: [b:Παράδοση άνευ όρων|44167418|Παράδοση άνευ όρων (Scoundrels of St. James, #3)|Lorraine Heath|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1551459286l/44167418._SX50_.jpg|6013659]
Βιβλίο 4: [b:Η ώρα της εκδίκησης|50629219|Η ώρα της εκδίκησης (Scoundrels of St. James, #4)|Lorraine Heath|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579735534l/50629219._SX50_.jpg|6474766]
Βιβλίο 5: [b:The Last Wicked Scoundrel|18142675|The Last Wicked Scoundrel (Scoundrels of St. James, #5)|Lorraine Heath|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1382677063l/18142675._SY75_.jpg|25489539]

Related to the:
- Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James Series
- The Hellions of Havisham Series

puajiwehe's review against another edition

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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? Yes

5.0

kwcook's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

_myliteraryobsession's review against another edition

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2.0

I had a good ol' chuckle over this book. The title pretty much explains it all. It was one of those soppy romances you sometimes find yourself reading to pass the time. The biggest let-down was the sheer lack of passion and chemistry between the two romantic leads. I was not in the least bit convinced that Luke and Catherine belonged together.

Luke, (also known as the Devil Earl) is convinced that he has met his perfect match in Frannie Darling, an insipid, quiet, 'plain Jane' type of character. Despite her general lack of eagerness in wishing to marry him, Luke seeks Lady Catherine Mabry's assistance in teaching Frannie how to be a lady so that she'll learn to fit in to his uppity, aristocratic world. Whilst Lady Catherine is busy transforming Frannie from a ladette to a lady, the sexual tension between Catherine and Luke builds as they consistently find themselves in tricky, somewhat intimate situations that are hard to escape from.

Luke is the typical bad-boy, or as they called them back in the old days, a 'scoundrel'. His intentions are bad, bad, bad. He'll ruin your reputation and scatter his seed as he sees fit, however that doesn't seem to stop Catherine Mabry. Like a moth to a flame she can't get enough of the super dangerous Luke.

Not surprisingly this novel culminates in pregnancy and the realisation that it's far better to be with someone you have an attraction towards than to someone that fails to raise a pulse or anything else for that matter. I have now successfully read a Regency Romance. I have been there and done that so to say.

littleraysofsunshine97's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-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? Yes

4.5

decrain's review against another edition

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3.75

enjoyable

geo_ix's review against another edition

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5.0

I LOVED this book. Recently I've come to realise I really do love certain types of historical romances, and they're usually with rakes or scoundrels, the woman's more independent than is acceptable in the time period, and they're a lovely slow burn. I love the mystery in this of whether he is the Earl or not, I loved figuring out what his head pains meant, and I loved all the side characters so much that I'm very eager to read all their books!

myshelfaffair's review against another edition

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medium-paced

4.0

2.0 🌶️

This book totally got me out of my reading slump and I was hooked from the beginning. SO good!!

✅ I loved the premise of this. We start off with the heroine, Catherine, showing up at the hero's house unexpectedly with a proposition—to kill someone for her. Luke is a notorious scoundrel and the heroine's reputation could be ruined if she's seen at his house. Their first meeting was absolute FIRE. The chemistry between them was electric. I was instantly hooked. Luke doesn't immediately agree, but eventually does if Catherine agrees to give etiquette lessons to the woman Luke hopes to marry. Its not technically a "matchmaker falls in love" story, but it felt like one and I absolutely love that trope.

✅ Luke (H): 3.5⭐. I absolutely loved Luke. He's arrogant, troubled, and the perfect "bad boy," but underneath it all, he's a good man. I loved how he grew to care for Catherine and couldn't stop thinking about her. What annoyed me, though, was how long it took him to realize that he loved Catherine. He was so set on marrying the other woman and continued to deny his feelings right up until the end, like literally the very end. I also didn't like the way he came to realization that he loved Catherine.

✅ Catherine (h): 4⭐. I really liked Catherine. She's got a big heart and was desperate to ensure her friend's safety. She's also very strong-willed and independent (especially for the time period) and manages to stay in the good graces of society. I loved how brave she was and willing to do whatever it takes for those that she loved. Overall, she was a very well-rounded character.

✅ I loved the romance between Luke and Catherine. There was so much angst and sexual tension between Catherine and Luke and I just ate it up. You can feel it in every interaction and I loved seeing the two of them together. There's also an awesome scene of Luke comforting Catherine after she's injured. SOOO good!

✅ I thought there was good mix of plot and romance. The mystery surrounding Luke's identity was interesting and the suspense elements kept the pacing fast. This is also darker than other historicals I've read, with a lot of heavy topics (so please check the content warnings), but I like stories with a more serious tone.

✅ The side characters were interesting and distinct in their own ways. The author did a good job laying the groundwork for the rest of the series. You get to know each of the side characters just enough to intrigue you without overshadowing the main story. I'm definitely interested to read all of their own stories.

🆗 A trope that many people don't like makes an appearance towards the end of the book (see content warnings below). I personally don't mind the trope, but in this case I thought it felt unnecessary and didn't really add anything to the story.

🆗 After all the angst and tension for so much of the book, I wish we could have seen more of their HEA at the end. But that's definitely a me thing and I'm greedy when it comes to HEAs, especially with angsty books.

Overall, I absolutely adored this. The perfect blend of romance and plot. I loved the characters and the chemistry between the couple was insane. Definitely recommend!

Am I glad I read it? ✅ Yes

Would I recommend this book? ✅ Yes

Would I read this book again? ✅ Yes

Will I read more books by this author? ✅ Definitely

Genre/Tropes: Historical Romance ◾️ Victorian Era ◾️ Matchmaker Falls in Love ◾️ Scoundrels/Rogues ◾️ Hurt Comfort ◾️ Forced Proximity

POV: No explicit POV chapters, but mostly told from Catherine and Luke's POV in third person, past tense.

Pacing: Good. Never skimmed or felt rushed.

Sadness: Low/Moderate.

Content Warnings