The Devil Earl (Harlequin Historical, No 317) [Paperback]

Deborah Simmons (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1996

Out Of A Midnight Coach Stepped Ravenscar…The Perfect Gothic Mystery Man

Dark and brooding and rumored to have done murder, the Devil Earl was everything Prudence Lancaster's imagination could conjure. But he was also flesh and blood, and infinitely more seductive than anything she had ever created. In his presence, the dreamy authoress became a sultry sleuth, hungry to solve the mystery of Ravenscar's missing brother and to save her beloved Devil Earl from his own wicked legacy….

"Deborah Simmons guarantees a page-turner…"

—Romantic Times

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 298 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin (April 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373289170
• ISBN-13: 978-0373289172
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,177,738 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Delightful romance with gothic flair, May 5, 2000

By 

Laurie Gold "bookie" (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Devil Earl (Harlequin Historical, No 317) (Paperback)

The lair of the Devil Earl, perched precariously on a sea cliff like the castle in Dark Shadows. A night filled with tempest-tossed seas and the crackles of thunder. A tall and brooding hero, accused of murder.

These sound like the perfect ingredients for a gothic novel, right? Well, those elements are in place, but what's purposely missing is the damsel in distress.

The damsel not-in-distress is Prudence Lancaster, a bespectacled author with ink-stained hands. She is strong, level-headed, intelligent and determined. She is also on the shelf, never having noticed her body beyond the fact that it is unfashionably tall, bronzed, and leggy. Her face? She has never noticed its beauty behind the glasses her sister, "the pretty sister," has her constantly wear.

The Devil Earl is the hero. Dark, intense, with brooding gray eyes, Sebastian Ravenscar has been a party to all sorts of carnal debauchery in the past. He has never met a woman who could satisfy him in body and mind...until he meets Prudence. She alone is not afraid of him - she sees him as a pagan god capable of providing the thrills she has only written about.

Prudence and Sebastian fit together in body, mind, and soul. Sebastian's discovery of the delights of Prudence are many and filled with loving humor. It's such fun to read Sebastian's erotic musings -- he lusts after her ink-stained hands and delights in removing her spectacles. It's so enjoyable to have a heroine reach out and literally grab (ahem) what she wants.

Deborah Simmons has accomplished in this regency-set historical a gentle parody of a gothic novel. There are enough superficial similarities to Amanda Quick's Ravished that I feared The Devil Earl would be a clone. Happily, the books are not so similar after all. And Simmons' book is actually better -- the heroine and hero are more attractive and believable, and there are secondary characters who grow to become enjoyable as well.

What's more, this author has fashioned wonderfully erotic love scenes - no doubt Sebastian's early lessons from his debauched youth will provide a life-time of bliss for Prudence. And she, with her ink-stained hands, imagination, and loving soul, will stimulate his mind, body, and heart forever.

Deborah Simmons has followed up the wonderful The Vicar's Daughter with another Regency-era historical that is easy to read, funny, and sexy. Those of us who have been disappointed by the latest works of our favorite authors need not fear the same with this author. It's not a perfect book, there is no earth-shattering intensity, but it is such a delightful romp - who cares?

TTFN, Laurie Likes Books

Publisher, All About Romance

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming Read, July 6, 2002

By 

M. Rondeau (West Springfield, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Devil Earl (Harlequin Historical, No 317) (Paperback)

This was a very fast read for me - mainly because I couldn't put it down!

Upon her first glimpse of the Earl of Ravenscar, he was certainly living up to his namesake, namely the Devil Earl. He came rushing into the Abbey, in a black coach on a dark and stormy night. And, so Prudence Lancaster, the gothic author, was gaining more fodder for her novels. She had lived in Cornwall all her life and had never seen the 'Devil Earl' - only heard the stories, and though he was very dark and mysterious, he was also the handsomest man she had ever seen.

At five and twenty, Prudence was consigned to living in the world of her imagination - the world she created in the novels she wrote - But, since she met the Devil Earl - her imagination would never be so exciting and passionate as the situations she would be in with him.

Very passionate,sensual and romantic trysts. A most exciting read and well worth finding a copy of this book. Great!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books I ever read!, June 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Devil Earl (Harlequin Historical, No 317) (Paperback)

This book realy holds your intrest. once I started reading it I found it very hard to put it down. I love the way the Auther keeps you in suspence, just woundering what will happen next. It is one of the best Mistery/Romance Novels I have ever read. I like it so much, I have read it at least 4 times!