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A review by laurenjodi
Surrender to the Devil by Lorraine Heath
4.0
Surrender to the Devil
3.5 Stars
Raised on the streets with the rest of Feagan's gang of pickpockets and thieves, Frannie Darling has grown into a strong and determined young woman. Keeping her distance from the men who frequent the gaming hell where she works as a bookkeeper, Frannie has no desire to marry or even take a lover until she meets Sterling Mabry, the devilish yet secretive Duke of Greystone, who makes her want to forget every vow she's ever made to herself.
Although well-written with likable characters, this installment in Heath's Scoundrels of St. James did not engage me as much as the previous books.
Frannie is a very sweet heroine and this is exactly the problem. She is simply too perfect for words and her chemistry with Sterling is lackluster. Sterling, in contrast, is much more compelling with his devastating secret, but even this turns out to be no obstacle as Frannie is so loving and accepting of all his faults.
The minor suspense plot involving Frannie's removing orphans from the clutches of the malicious Bob Sykes (yes, there are still allusions to Dickens' Oliver Twist on virtually every page), has potential, but never really adds any tension to the story.
The epilogue at the end is intriguing and I look forward to reading the stories that are referenced in it.
3.5 Stars
Raised on the streets with the rest of Feagan's gang of pickpockets and thieves, Frannie Darling has grown into a strong and determined young woman. Keeping her distance from the men who frequent the gaming hell where she works as a bookkeeper, Frannie has no desire to marry or even take a lover until she meets Sterling Mabry, the devilish yet secretive Duke of Greystone, who makes her want to forget every vow she's ever made to herself.
Although well-written with likable characters, this installment in Heath's Scoundrels of St. James did not engage me as much as the previous books.
Frannie is a very sweet heroine and this is exactly the problem. She is simply too perfect for words and her chemistry with Sterling is lackluster. Sterling, in contrast, is much more compelling with his devastating secret, but even this turns out to be no obstacle as Frannie is so loving and accepting of all his faults.
The minor suspense plot involving Frannie's removing orphans from the clutches of the malicious Bob Sykes (yes, there are still allusions to Dickens' Oliver Twist on virtually every page), has potential, but never really adds any tension to the story.
The epilogue at the end is intriguing and I look forward to reading the stories that are referenced in it.