Publisher: HQN Books
Date published: January 27, 2015
ISBN:
978-0-373-77890-4
Historical Romance
Paperback
Reviewed by Lynne
Obtained via publisher
Rating:
5
THE DEVIL TAKES A BRIDE by Julia London is a dazzling
reading experience.
Grace Cabot and her sisters, Honor,
Prudence, and Mercy were once the toast of society, until the death of the Earl
of Beckington, their stepfather.
Uncertain of their future with their stepbrother, Augustine, who is
engaged to be married, the Cabot sisters
now await the shame of losing their status in society and the fine
luxuries they are accustomed to. To
avoid this, Grace takes it upon herself to snag for herself a husband of
quality by plotting to seduce a wealthy viscount into marriage. Unfortunately, her plans backfire, and she
suddenly finds herself in the arms of another man - the wrong man - and
one who is, shockingly, one of the most disagreeable men in England. Jeffrey, the Earl of Merryton.
Merryton is a tortured soul, a man
governed by routine and ruled by duty, a man who prefers solitude
and...order. He never intended to marry,
until he finds himself passionately caught up in the arms of a beautiful
temptress with golden hair, a woman he can’t resist wanting in every way. Then, as fate would have it, he finds himself
in a position that is necessary if he is to protect his good name and that of
his family. A position that will disrupt
his orderly life and perhaps ruin it beyond repair.
THE DEVIL TAKES A BRIDE by Julia London is a marvelously
entertaining read, a work of sheer genius.
London’s skill in characterization and detail, particularly of
Merryton’s madness, is unique and well presented. The plotting is exceptional, and the story
kept me glued to the book and quickly turning pages to see what would happen
next.
Grace Cabot is a clever young woman whose
motives are in the right place, her fears warranted because of her mother’s
illness, yet is so innocent as to believe her plan at snagging a rich husband
would work out in the end and take care of all of her problems. The fact that it does, although she marries
the wrong man, makes for an interesting read.
I loved how Grace makes every attempt to
settle into Merryton’s ordered home, of how she begins changing it to suit her
own needs. The bad pianoforte playing
and the dogs were a nice touch, which added some humor to the story.
It is fun to watch how Merryton handles
all of the disruptions invading his life.
More importantly, it is great to see how London helps Grace slowly
wheedle her way into his heart, making him want her so badly that all other
women are pushed from his mind.
The characters in THE DEVIL TAKES A
BRIDE by Julia London are realistic and likeable, and London subtly and
skillfully weaves changes in our hero, Merryton, especially in his thought
processes and odd behaviors, as the story progresses, just as the reader hopes
will happen, in the end. The fact that
Grace grows to care for him as she is intent on becoming a good wife to him,
since it was her stupidity that brought them together in the first place, makes
this story all the more wonderful. Also,
London does a superb job in tying up all the loose ends for a grand finale that
had me smiling...a lot.
I absolutely loved THE DEVIL TAKES A
BRIDE by Julia London and was very disappointed when the story ended
because I had come to really care about Grace and Jeffrey. In fact, all of the characters. It is well written, fast paced, very original
in its scope, and with a satisfying plot that contains many twists and turns
that will keep the reader definitely wanting more.
I eagerly look forward to reading the
next book in this series, on Grace’s younger sister Prudence’s own romance, and
I hope other readers will enjoy THE DEVIL TAKES A BRIDE by Julia London
as much as I did.
Well done, Ms. London. Another winner, to be sure.
This is an objective review and not an
endorsement of this book.
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