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In Bed with the Devil (Avon Romantic Treasure) | 
 enlarge | Author: Lorraine Heath
Publisher: Avon Books
Category: Book
List Price: £5.99
Buy New: £2.06
You Save: £3.93 (66%)
New (22) Used (7) from £1.45
Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 45556
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 384
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.2
ISBN: 0061355577
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780061355578
ASIN: 0061355577
Publication Date: July 1, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: New book. WE USE PRIORITY AIRMAIL ONLY for books from the USA. UK & European delivery is 7-10 days. Over 2,000,000 books sold to Amazon customers
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| Customer Reviews:
Enjoyable Victorian romance July 17, 2008
Helen Hancox (Essex, England)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
So. Another paperback with a picture of a woman whose clothes appear to be falling off, a manly man whose clothes have already fallen off, author's name and title written in a curly font, pastel background colours and a cheesy title. Nothing unusual here, dozens of books that look just like this one are published every month. Most are fairly mediocre with little characterisation and a scanty plot. But not this one!
'In Bed With The Devil', despite the rather corny title (which, for once, was actually reflected by the content of the book), is a very good story. It has elements that most other historical romances set in Victorian times have - nobility, country estates, seedy parts of London, etc - but what marked this story out was its convincing characterisation. The plot isn't particularly complex - the Earl of Claybourne, a boy who lived as a thief on the streets of London as a youth before being found by his grandfather after killing a man who turned out to be his uncle, wants to marry his childhood love, Frannie, who worked in their thieving gang. However the inconvenience of Lucien Langdon's title means that Frannie feels she's not able to marry him as she doesn't know how to behave as a Countess. When Lady Catherine Mabry, daughter of a Duke, comes to Lucien to ask him to carry out a murder for her, they establish an unusual wager; Catherine will teach Frannie how to be a Countess and then Lucien/Luke will kill the mystery person for her.
Luke finds himself spending a great deal of time with Catherine and comparing her to Frannie. These two women are very different and yet there's something about Catherine that draws Luke. However he can't get too close to her, partly because of Frannie but also because he is shortly going to have to commit murder for her and he knows that will mean the death of his soul. As we the readers discover who Catherine wants killed and why, as Luke starts to discover more about the mystery of his origins, as both Luke and Catherine begin to understand the nature of love and of trust and fidelity, it seems their lives might be in danger. Can they keep themselves safe? Can they be happy?
The strength of this book is in the characterisation, not just of Luke and Catherine but also of many other people. For once this was a story where the central love affair was believable and grew organically, rather than just being presented as a fait accompli. It was also interesting to learn of Luke's character, initially presented as a murdering devilish man but slowly being proved to be quite different. Catherine was a great heroine, a strong but feminine woman who didn't spend her time simpering and whining but who got on with life, despite its difficulties for her. This was a book in which the reader could believe absolutely in the happy ever after for these two characters.
Historical detail was reasonable in this book although the dialogue slipped occasionally into Americanisms. The story, however, carried this reader along at all times and it was always enjoyable to follow the lives of Catherine and Luke.
Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book Helen Hancox 2008
Good read..... July 13, 2008
Book Buff (London)
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
He is called the Devil Earl - he was raised on the rough London streets.
When he was captured for murder at the age 14 he was released as the long lost heir or an Earldom. He doesn't believe he is the heir and society does not accept him. Lady Catherine Mabry is bold, independent and strong minded. she would do anything to protect those she loves. She looks after her sick father and wants to help her friend who is being abused by her husband. So she strikes a bargain with the Devil Earl.
Luke is really a wonderful hero. All the supporting characters are great..
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